We recently connected with Thomas Bender and have shared our conversation below.
: Hi Thomas , so excited to have you with us today and we are really interested in hearing your thoughts about how folks can develop their empathy? In our experience, most folks want to be empathic towards others, but in a world where we are often only surrounded by people who are very similar to us, it can sometimes be a challenge to develop empathy for others who might not be as similar to us. Any thoughts or advice?
Empathy is a word that never really came across my mind until a few years ago. Its not that I didn’t have empathy. It wasn’t that I didn’t care or think to care for or about others. It just wasn’t near the front of my mind.
On October 24th, 2020 my wife, better half, mother to our two month old son, partner in life and business passed away from a horseback riding accident. She had ridden horses her entire life and yet this one time it all went horribly wrong. She was gone in a literal blink.
You hear about these type of events. You feel saddened to hear about these type of events and yet until it happens to you you can not understand how deep it hurts. I could recount every single second of that day and we’re quickly approaching the 3 year anniversary of her passing.
It was this event in my life that empathy took on a new meaning for me and has and forever will have changed me.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My story, like many, certainly ebbs and flows. In short, design has always been something I’ve felt I’ve been “good” at and enjoyed. I went to school for it (BFA in Industrial Design from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design) not knowing where it would lead. Design led me to understand more about myself – who I am and where I wanted that career to go. It turns out I work well for myself and also seem to have an entrepreneurial spirit!
After a number of years designing soft goods such as footwear and backpacks (among other things) that ‘spirit’ (noted above) got the best of me when my wife and I were looking to build a van for ourselves. ACME Overland was born because the two of us felt we could build it better…two weeks after that conversation about building a van for ourselves we had a client and were on our way.
Eight years later we’re still creating custom floor plans for every client that comes our way. We’re fortunate to be just as busy now as ever and not only building on van platforms but also on much larger expedition trucks. These were a dream we never thought would happen due to the size, complexity, and client it requires but we’re now building multiples a year!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Creative thinking, tenacity, & care – I believe these are a few of the attributes that helped get me where I am today.
The only advice I have for anyone early in their journey is to simply try. This is obviously easier said then done but you have nothing to loose by trying and everything to gain. It is scary, it can be overwhelming, it might fail. You’ll never know though until you take that first leap.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
There is always something lingering in my head that I’m working to resolve. Gratefully, in business, these obstacles have always been related to growth. That puts us in a very fortunate position!
Currently and for some time now, I’ve been looking to find a business advisor/partner/financial partner that can work along side me to help us make wise decisions. I have a MILLION ideas and many times I just need someone to listen, think, and return with a logical reason as to why this might or might not work. I’ve spoke with hundreds of people but have yet to find that “right” person….I’m beginning to think its me that might be the problem 🙂
This can get frustrating because I have seen many of these ideas implemented by other businesses that have the resources to develop them. That inevitably puts a brief frown on my face but also give me the confidence that my ideas are in fact sound and worth pursuing.
Contact Info:
- Website: acmeoverland.com/
- Instagram: acme_overland
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acmeoverland
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ACME_OVERLAND
