The Veronica Edwards Show
The Veronica Edwards Show
Crafting Life's Narrative Through Music and Mountains with Ben Phan
Embark on an auditory expedition that charts the unconventional route of Ben Phan, a virtuoso whose life tapestry is woven with the threads of music, filmmaking, and the wild trails of the Continental Divide. As we share stories that resonate with the soul, Ben unravels the complexities of a life led by passion and purpose. From his days of nomadic living in a van to the vibrant creative enclave of Asheville, Ben's odyssey is a testament to the transformative power of art and adventure. His candid insights into navigating the music industry with integrity, and nurturing the next generation of talent, as he does with my husband Carlos, are bound to stir the hearts of our listeners.
This episode is a tribute to the bravery of stepping into the unknown, both in nature's expanse and within the labyrinth of our ambitions. Ben's tale of a five-month pilgrimage through the expanse of the Continental Divide, during the reflective time of a global pandemic, highlights the revelatory impact of solitude and the natural world on one's life direction. As he captures the essence of community and individual stories through the lens of his camera, his journey becomes a beacon for those seeking a meaningful path in life. Tune in for an episode that celebrates the spirit of human resilience and the beauty of crafting a narrative that aims to heal and unite.
Website: https://benphanstudios.com/
Facebook: Ben Phan
Instagram: Benphanstudios
This program is brought to you by:
Balanced Virtually
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Welcome to the Veronica Edwards show where we have fun financial conversations that everyone listening can apply to their personal and professional life. I'm your host, Veronica Edwards, and I'm so excited to be back here on bizradious for the third season of the Veronica Edwards show. Always got to shout out the V team for really supporting and I'm loving all the great feedback that I'm getting on the new things that we're doing on social media with different stories. I'm on TikTok Pray for me. I don't know what the heck I'm doing on TikTok, but I have guidance from a young person. That's cool.
Veronica :So let's jump into today's show. So today's guest I'm super excited is a filmmaker, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, traveler and a long distance hiker, which we're going to talk about because this person has walked from Mexico to Canada. Yeah, stay tuned for that. His film work carries a strong message of hope and resilience. His mission is to tell stories that heal and create sustainable communities. In addition to producing his own projects, this guest works with a variety of organizations including United Way, Umoja, Health and Wellness, client of Balance, Virtually the Restored Dreams Project, and he's also the resident filmmaker for CounterFlow Media, also a client of Balance Virtually, where video storytelling is used to heal and connect diverse communities. So I have so many questions for this super talented guest. So, without further ado, I would like to introduce my friend, Mr Ben Fond. Welcome to the show, Ben. How are you?
Ben:I'm great. Thanks so much for having me. Veronica Glad to be here.
Veronica :Thank you for making the time. You know, ben is a very famous filmmaker. He's working on a PBS doc, also working on my Husband Carlos Edwards Press Kit. So super famous, super busy, thank you, thank you. Thank you for making the time, ben. So we always start the show asking the guests to tell us a little bit about yourself, where you're from and your story that led you to working in Asheville and doing the amazing work that you're doing, telling the stories of a lot of amazing organizations here in Western North Carolina.
Ben:Sure. So I grew up in the DC area and lived kind of all over the world or all over the country and you know, as people in their mid twenties tend to make bad decisions and get into trouble, I decided I needed to start fresh somewhere. And I was with a woman at the time. We were living in a van and I said I just want to go somewhere I've never been before and start fresh. And she said, well, her Asheville is pretty cool. And so we drove down here, parked the van in Montford and that was 2011. And I haven't left.
Veronica :Oh my gosh, Ben, you are wild living in the van. I got stories on that alone, so okay, so I didn't know you're from that DC DMV area and then been here now, gosh, 13 years, and so I know personally from just working with you that you started your career as a professional musician. So how did you get into music? What instruments you play? I know that you're a multi-instrumentalist, so I would love to hear about all that because, as you know, v Team, my husband, carlos Edwards, released his Christmas EP, which CounterFlow helped with the website. Counterflow is also helping with the press kit so Carlos can start gigging locally. So Ben has really become like a mentor to Carlos, which we really appreciate. So, for those listening, I would love for you to share how you made it as a professional musician. You weren't necessarily on MTV, bet, all that stuff before it was all the YouTube and all that and you were very successful. So, if you can, please share that with the listeners. I know they would love to hear about that journey.
Ben:Sure.
Ben:So I grew up and my dad is an amazing pianist and a singer and he would be playing Chopin's Nocturnes, which are these just incredibly beautiful, somewhat sad piano pieces.
Ben:So I grew up to that music and was just playing from a young age and, you know, played guitar in high school, mainly just, you know, to impress, impress people and try and be cool. And but then, you know, as I grew into more of an artist and started writing songs and, yeah, you know, my original goal was to try and create my original music and be able to tour and share that with the world and I pursued that path for some years and it I ended up feeling it really burned me out. It's exhausting to kind of share that vulnerably, you know, on a regular basis. And so I started doing I started doing private events and other gigs that paid well and weren't quite as taxing on the lifestyle. I think a lot of people don't realize that the majority of professional musicians you've never heard of they're playing weddings, private events, they're teaching, they're working locally and you're Justin Beavers and Taylor Swift are a very, very tiny fraction of the professional musicians. They're making way more money than any of the others.
Veronica :Yes.
Ben:But you can make a decent living at music and not be famous if you're willing to work hard. I mean you don't get rich, so yeah, so that's been the journey, and then I kind of consider myself a recovering professional musician.
Veronica :How long has it been Ben since you've been recovered?
Ben:I'm not. I'm recovering. I'm still like healing from the burnout of playing like four or five nights a week and just being in public in late nights and stuff. It really took a toll on me. And so now you know I do filmmaking and I'm able to pick and choose the gigs that I play. You know I don't take gigs below a certain price point and if a gig is too late at night, you know I think about not playing it or travel if it's too far. So I'm getting back to where music is something I enjoy and love again.
Veronica :Yay, I'm happy to hear that, because you know we're gonna be reaching out to you when Carlos starts gigging like hey, we need a guitar player.
Ben:Are you?
Veronica :available to help out.
Ben:But no.
Veronica :I'm glad you talked about that because, again, in entrepreneurship it's very easy to get burnt out. We just had a CPA chat, one of my other segments where we talked about the burnout is real and I am definitely a fan of multiple streams of income. Now that I've been in entrepreneurship for six years, I'm like you can't just rely, even for myself, just on bookkeeping. I also coach and I also consult and there's so many things and I also teach. So I love that you're not giving up on your passion, which it sounds like you just that's just a God given talent that you have as a musician. But I love to hear that you're branching into other talents that you have, like filmmaking. So tell us how did you fall into filmmaking, if you're self-taught, if you're taking clients and and what type of filmmaking that you make.
Ben:Yeah, Before it, I hope, if you don't mind, I want to. You mentioned the word talent and for me, I don't really know that I'm that talented.
Veronica :Oh, come on.
Ben:Well, I think skill. I prefer to use the word skilled when I talk. You know I'm very skilled.
Ben:I'm very skilled, but it's come with a lot of hours Growing up. One of my best friends was this prodigy musician and he just learned everything so fast and I wanted to keep up with him. So I put in twice the amount of work and I still couldn't keep up with him. And over the years and years, putting in that time is how you become skilled at something. And I just wanted to say that if anyone's listening and they think that oh, I'm not talented, I can't do that and I just don't think that's true. I think if you put in the time, then you can learn to become skilled.
Veronica :So yes, I'm so glad that you added that. Absolutely. I tell people all the time that for me, yeah, people like oh, I found it trying to have all this energy and you're good at this, but to your point too, because I'm up early you know doing work and I'm staying up late while everybody else is asleep researching things. So, yes, hard work definitely pays off. So, yes, tell us about how you fell into filmmaking, which is also, I feel like, part of that artistic part of your brain also, Absolutely so.
Ben:originally I got into video to support my music because I would hire videographers and I'd be taking a guitar solo and they'd be filming the bass player or something.
Veronica :You're like come on.
Ben:Yeah, and so I was like I'm going to just learn a little bit of this to, you know, just be able to shoot some of my own music videos and record my own music. And so that was really how it started. And then, you know, like, as I shared, as I kind of got burned out, I realized that I was becoming skilled in this other thing that I could use and that it there was potential for it being better for my mental health, supporting a better lifestyle, and not be in the center of attention all the time with it.
Veronica :You know so so now I know that you mentioned that you moved to Asheville back in 2011. When do you say like the burnout started for you with music and you started to transition into filmmaking? How long has that been?
Ben:Yeah, well, it's been. It's. It's hard to say, it's not, not a linear process, it's more cyclical, I think. But yeah, so I started doing music professionally in 2015. And then, when COVID happened, I was already kind of struggling for the year or two leading up to covid. And then, when that happened, everything shut down and there was no work, no gigs, and that forced me to re-evaluate and it gave me the space to re-evaluate in a way that I hadn't had before, and so that was the big transition for me. And that's when I decided, all right, I'm going to take some time off and hike the continental divide trail. And then, when I was on the continentalinental Divide Trail, I filmed just with my phone. I filmed the journey and we did a fundraiser for a nonprofit. And on that hike, that five month long hike, I decided, okay, I'm going to really like pursue video. So that's what I did.
Veronica :Wow, and you know, I just had a guest on the show, nakonda Garcia, where we were talking about the power of the pause. You know, like trying to figure out what your next move is going to be. Sometimes you just have to pause and just figure out, ok, what's the next move. And you very just, real, smooth, just said, oh yeah, when I was just taking a five month hike, it's like what the what? A five-month hike. It's like what the what, what.
Veronica :Let's talk about that because I was reading ben's bio who I've been working with now for the last few months, working on carlos's press kid and things like that had no idea. Back in 2014, ben walked from mexico to canada with a guitar and all of his belongings on his back and this was a 2,668 mile journey. Whoa, wow, tell me all about it. Yeah, so you know, we always ask the guests to give us different tips and jewels you got to tell us about. You know, why did you make this journey, how it inspired you Would? Would you recommend people doing this type of hike? How would they go about doing it? I mean, give me all the tea on this, because I'm just so intrigued.
Ben:Sure. Well, starting off it was a mini guitar, so much lighter. Yeah, I mean for me, you know, the wilderness and being in wild spaces is one of the primary ways that I recharge and get in touch with who I am and my creativity. I think that's true for a lot of people, and especially in kind of the modern world where we're always on our phones and driving around to carve out the space is really powerful. Yeah, for me, I hiked the Appalachian Trail when I was in college, in the summers when I was in college and then I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2014. And that's what that's on. That hike is when I decided to do music professionally. And then, in 2022, I hiked the Continental Divide Trail, and that's when I decided to do video professionally.
Ben:So taking those pauses has really given me, you know, because you're a, you know, financial person. It's like, I think oftentimes we get into this trap of a scarcity mindset where we think I have to work and I have to make as much money as possible. But in my experience, when I've taken that time off from work, it's allowed me to recharge and get more clarity and then I'm able to make more money and do things that I love even more and it's actually puts me ahead in the long run if I'm willing to take that time.
Ben:And also there's a certain amount of privilege I do want to say too. It's you have to have some savings to be able to do that, and not everybody has that with certain things. So I want to acknowledge the privilege in that.
Veronica :Well, you know, as the number person, you know, I'd be a little nosy and just ask so, like how much is that, you know? Like for you to take a hike, even like when you said, oh, like summers I would just do, like the Appalachian Trail, Like, what does that consist of? Of course we know you have to be able to maintain if you have an apartment and all that stuff, but what's the cost of actually being out there for the that amount of time?
Ben:yeah, well, when I hiked the appalachian trail, on the pacific crest trail, I gave up my places to live, so I wasn't paying rent anywhere and smart and definitely, you know, keeping things minimal. Um, on the cdt it was harder because I owned a home and was in a you know relationship and had, you know, owned my business and stuff, so that was a lot harder to maintain. Um, but the cost can really vary. The app flash and trail is the cheapest because there's more infrastructure around it, there's more hostels. Um, you can get to town more often. Um, well, actually, yeah, but getting to town more often can make things more expensive, depending on your personality. But, gosh, it really varies. Um, I don't want to give specific numbers because it's even changed in the last few years oh yeah, just a range yeah, um.
Ben:So if you do things really cheaply, if you, if you, when you're in town, if you stay at campgrounds, if you don't go out to eat a ton, if you, you know, buy food from the grocery store, um, it's cheaper than a vacation, for sure you know, you can make it as expensive as you want.
Ben:Though if you go to town and you get a nice hotel room and you're going out to eat a lot and you're buying a lot of new gear, you know it's really. It really can vary and everybody hikes differently. Um, I hike the at and the pct pretty cheap and then on the CDT, I was in my mid 30s and I was like I need that motel room y'all.
Veronica :I know that, and the CDT is the Continental Divide Trail, so that's where it was. Is that Mexico to Canada?
Ben:Yes, yes.
Veronica :Wow. So I just have to get like one of your craziest stories, like what is one of the wildest things that you experienced doing. This Cause in my mind as like. As a mom, I'm like don't you talk to no strangers, there's going to be a trucker that's going to kidnap you, you're going to get sex traffic. All the all the crazy versus. I love that. Your experience, like I, was enlightened, I was able to pause, I was figuring out, you know able to figure out my next steps. Did you see a lot of acts of kindness while you were out on the trail? Were there times where you're like you know what, I'm ready to get home.
Ben:Let me tell you this the only times I was afraid of people was in towns. It was never. Never in the back country, never in the wilderness. You know, when we're walking down the city street we see 10 people walking towards us. We keep our head down and walk by. But when you're out in a hundred mile range and there's five people, you know you see each other and you give each other the shirt off your back, because you're out there and there's a sense of responsibility for each other.
Ben:That's really, really beautiful. Um, I it's, it's. We're not accustomed, generally, to being in wild spaces, but I believe that it's way safer than driving 100%. You know, if you do your research and you learn and you build up to it way safer than driving down the road. Driving is dangerous.
Veronica :Driving is very dangerous. I tell people all the time like they'll be like oh Veronica, you're just flying to Atlanta. I'm like, mm-hmm, I'll get there in 30 minutes. It's safer.
Veronica :I don't have to worry about being on 85 with some of these folks that are on their phone and all the devices and all the distractions. But I love hearing you say that it was when you were in town but when you were out in nature. And again, I'm always bringing up my husband, carlos, but he loves to off-road and he loves to be in his Wrangler and he always says that he feels closest to God, he gets clarity, he likes being on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which I know is, way you know, watered down versus you know the, the trails and the journeys that you have. And another question I have for that, for you, ben were you by yourself or were you always with at least one other person when you were traveling?
Ben:Yeah. So I typically start off by myself and hike, for you know, a couple months on my own and I'll see people and, you know, talk to people, but generally camp alone the first couple months of my through hikes and then, and then I tend to group up with, you know, one or two people and I even hiked with a group of five people in Colorado and then finished with three. But when you're hiking that far, you know you don't hike the same speed as people, so that generally means you're just camping in the same place and and even some nights like I really really like camping alone. I think it's one of the most powerful experiences and I'm still scared to do it Like every night. You know I do it. There's and I've done it a lot there's a time like 30 seconds where I'm just like I am scared, and then it passes and you wake up and it just it's just a beautiful thing to do.
Veronica :Oh man, I want to end the show with that, because that definitely is the epitome of fear and that could be applied to entrepreneurship. Being a parent, being in relationships, you're always going to have that moment for like 30 seconds where you're like, why the heck am I doing this? I'm scared, I'm a failure, that whole imposter syndrome. It passes and you're like, okay, this is where I'm supposed to be and I'm glad that I did it. So thank you so much, ben, for sharing your experiences.
Veronica :You know, just with the long distance hiking, with being a professional musician, then going into filmmaking, sharing amazing stories of people in the community, which I'm such a big, you know, advocate of, just making sure that we can detail some of these things while we're here, I'm so thankful that while my dad was living, my dad was also a musician Latin percussion, you know so he did bongos and the clave and the cungas and all that stuff, and he had a band that he played with and I was able to get a video made of him and I can always go back and that's just a small sliver of filmmaking, but what you're doing and what you're capturing for people is huge. So thank you for the work that you're doing and also that you're still, you know, providing your skills not necessarily your talents when it comes to music, because we definitely know that music can have a healing aspect to it as well. So thank you so much, ben, for taking time out of your busy day to come on the show, and I just want to thank the listeners for tuning in to bizradious for the Veronica Edwards show on all platforms on Wednesdays and if you missed the live airing, you can listen to all prior shows at veronicaedwardsbuzzsproutcom. Again, ben, thank you so much.
Ben:Thank you so much, Veronica, for the show and for all the work you're doing in the community. It's really valued and appreciated.
Veronica :No problem.