We had the good fortune of connecting with Megan Bendtzen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Megan, what role has risk played in your life or career?
“I don’t think people will like that…” “You probably shouldn’t do that…”
“Nobody’s ever done anything like that before…”

I’ve been hearing phrases like this for as long as I can remember. Whether I was planning a meeting or event for clients or coming up with ideas for a project, my brain just seemed to work differently than everyone else.

I know there are plenty of people out there that think outside the box, I just happened to work in a career that was very much IN the box.

Regardless of what people warned, I did it anyway.
More often than not, I found myself in trouble with my antics and off-the-wall ideas.

Yet I knew there was something there because it was working.
My clients loved what I was doing. My trainings and events were memorable and unique.
People remembered the lessons. Clients bought more because we had fun together and there was a high level of trust.

As my results became noticed, I found a way to present my ideas so it was easier to be open to them and soon found myself as the one people would reach out to when THEY needed ideas.

There was certainly a level of risk in choosing to do things differently, despite the warnings, the eye-rolls and even the write-ups. If you have a fire in your heart, it’s easier to ignore the nay-sayers.

I was so passionate about what I believed- that the best way to teach, to create relationships, to get people engaged and bought in, is to make it FUN- there was nothing that could deter me from this mission.

It only fueled it.

So now there I was, I had moved up the ranks in my career, 14 years in with a Fortune 100 company and in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

And I chose to walk away.
I walked away from the security, the safety net, the comfort zone because I believed I had a higher calling to spread this message to the rest of corporate America.

It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done because I was taking a chance on me. And who was I?
I felt as if I’d leapt off a cliff and was building my parachute on the way down.
What made it less scary was shifting my focus from everything I had to lose… to imagining what was possible if I could actually pull this off!

Risk is the difference between mediocrity and living a purpose-driven life.
You must take risks because you weren’t meant to be average.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I LOVE what I do because it’s not only FUN, but the more research I do on this topic, I am discovering just how IMPORTANT it is.

My company is TheDoctorofFun.com! I am a Consultant, Speaker and Fun Specialist. I help businesses and meeting planners increase engagement using games-based education and really fun events so that their employees, clients and attendees are bought in, motivated and happier!
Engagement drives results!

There is a bit of an epidemic failure right now in Corporate America regarding employee engagement and wellbeing – people are checked out, burned out and leaving their jobs in droves.
We have become a society of work zombies.

There are plenty of misguided theories out there about what drives people, but there is plenty of data that reveals the truth. The real way to serious results is to get serious about FUN!

When people are having fun and enjoying what they do, productivity goes up, profitability goes up, retention rates go up, stress levels go down, teams become more connected, people take more accountability because there is an atmosphere of trust.

Not only that, there are TONS of health benefits when people laugh and have fun: lower blood pressure, reduced cortisol, reduced pain, boosted immunity, enhanced mood, improved brainpower, better memory retention, relaxed muscles, I could go on and on!

There are SO many benefits, it’s hard to ignore.
Unfortunately many people look at fun as unprofessional or something that happens AFTER work, something you earn… and that couldn’t be more detrimental.
This isn’t about being childish and not taking work seriously.
It’s about being in a happy mental state so you can give your business your best.

I teach people how this works using my “Play to Win” approach.
Since we spend more of our waking hours at work than anywhere else, I believe this mission is critically important. It’s time to get serious about fun.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My husband and I just recently moved to Boise, Idaho and we LOVE it!

My thing is great food and great atmosphere so I’d be showing off all the wonderful places to eat! Summer is beautiful here, there are so many unique restaurants that offer outside seating. The downtown is fun, easy to park and walk around. We love the dueling pianos, rooftop bars, live music, handmade ice cream and these amazing street vendors that put hash browns and shredded chicken on top of a hot dog… OMG.

Plus it’s absolutely stunning here, Boise is called the City of Trees and the river runs right through the center. Skiing is 20 minutes away and my husband actually chopped down our Christmas tree from the Boise National Forest. I can see us here for a LONG time.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would have never had the courage to walk away from my career without the total support and encouragement from my husband Jeff and my loving family – my mom, my sister Marnie and my brother Rob; and also the guidance of my personal coach at the time, Jorge Contreras.

When I look back over the last couple years and connect the dots of my journey as an entrepreneur, I am extremely grateful for the leadership and coaching from Speaking Experts Neil Gordon and Tim David, and also the incredible Mindset & PR Experts Chris Winfield & Jen Gottlieb at SuperConnector Media and the family they have created of other inspiring entrepreneurs.
I 100% believe in the power of surrounding yourself with people that are smarter, more experienced and more successful than you so you are constantly learning and upping your game.

And even before taking the leap, if my former manager in my corporate career Rob Taylor hadn’t allowed me the space and trusted me enough to let me “do my thing” I would have never realized my true calling in the first place.

Website: www.TheDoctorofFun.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thedoctoroffun/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganbendtzen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDoctorofFun

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5QFA0AIpGanA6p3MCTKdrQ

Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedoctoroffun More FUN links: https://bit.ly/TheDoctorofFun

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