We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ge. Benton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ge., thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I believe my work ethic comes from both loss and legacy. I lost my mother at a young age, and from then on, I modeled myself after my father. He was the kind of man who led with generosity and carried himself as both a leader and an entertainer. Watching him taught me to balance strength with kindness, and to never be afraid to put in the work.
At 19, I began my career as an intern for a midsize communications company that owned more than 80 daily and weekly newspapers. Their reach spanned everything from publishing and advertising to event marketing and online services. That opportunity opened the door to working with one of their women’s magazines, and it was compelling enough that I left college to pursue it full-time. From there, I was scouted to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, then moved into a role as marketing director for a family entertainment center.
It was during this time that I felt the pull to create something of my own. I worked full-time by day and poured myself into my idea at night, “birthing” a business that would become my proudest professional chapter. I promised myself I wouldn’t leave the stability of a paycheck until I was truly ready. In just four months, I had saved a year’s salary, and with that safety net, I stepped boldly into entrepreneurship. For the next 13 years, I built and ran a company that produced elite golf tournament experiences for Fortune 500 clients before handing the reins to my vice president of operations.
From there, I continued to serve in leadership, including as a major gift officer for a nonprofit healthcare system. But today, I’ve returned to what lights me up most: fashion, jewelry, and storytelling. I am designing fine exotic goods, styling a country music singer, and creating my first digital magazine—where I merge my love of reading, writing, and fashion with an engaged audience.
I live with a disability and can no longer work a traditional 9-to-5, but this is no “project.” It is my passion, my platform, and my reason to wake each day with a little extra pep in my step. Every day feels like a runway. And as a team of one, I’m excited for what’s next—soon launching split-screen interviews with some of the most fascinating people I’ve met along the way.
My work ethic was shaped by my father’s example, but it has been tested, sharpened, and proven by each chapter of my life. It’s what keeps me striving, building, and dreaming forward.
Dream big but live peacefully! My husband and my children are the greatest loves of my life. We traded out city life for a small old equestrian community. Here I am able to focus best on my family, my health, and my professional endeavors.
I would not trade lives with any person in the world!
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am especially excited to be reconnecting with my childhood neighbors, as together we are envisioning something that could change the way fashion is experienced—something it has not been able to do before. While the details are still taking shape, I believe it has the potential to be both innovative and transformative.
At the same time, I am in the process of developing a medical device. The concept is simple, the prototype is clear, and the research and science behind it are strong. Most importantly, it has the potential to benefit nearly 70% of people, which makes it deeply meaningful work to me.
Alongside these projects, I continue to draw inspiration from my garden, my golden doodles, and quiet afternoons enjoying polo or tea. These moments of balance fuel my creativity and help me bring fresh energy to the work I do. My ultimate vision is to bring all of my passions together in a free digital magazine that introduces smaller label designers to the mainstream, while also sharing the insights that have carried me through an evolving and exciting career.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
have carried me to this level are creativity, positivity, and a deep drive to stay productive. My creativity allows me to see opportunities where others might see challenges, and it keeps me inspired to build and reinvent. My positivity has helped me stay resilient through personal and professional obstacles, and it’s what draws people to work alongside me. And finally, I’ll admit—I’m addicted to being productive. I cannot sit still for long; I thrive on contributing, building, and advocating for healthy change wherever I can.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
The most impactful mentor I’ve had in my career was the brazen, brilliant, sharp, and charismatic human resources director who served as head of global operations when I worked for one of the largest midsize communications companies. She pushed me to see beyond what I thought was possible, challenged me to refine my skills, and set a standard of excellence I still measure myself against today.
Over the course of nearly 25 years, our relationship has evolved into a deep friendship, but she remains my mentor at heart. I check myself by the lessons she instilled—about professionalism, leadership, and growth—and I continue to measure my progress by the standard of making her proud.
She was the mold, I was simply Play-Doh! She never wanted me to be just like her, she wanted me to find confidence in being myself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @TheLadyofBanks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabby.boardman.benton
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ge-b-80518924?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
