Benjamin Davis is a former Navy SEAL, husband, father, veteran advocate, and writer of The Transition, a Substack newsletter that includes essays, fictional short stories, and some of the best long-form interviews you will find online, all focused on life during and after significant change. Ben is the Executive Director of the Veterans’ Outdoor Advocacy Group whose mission is to promote the benefits of outdoor adjunct therapy for Veterans by delivering research and advocacy, while driving access and proving efficacy, and perpetuating the well-being of our public lands.

In this conversation, we discuss identity, finding meaning after transition, doing vs. being, catharsis through creativity, interconnectedness, staying true to yourself, comparisons between fiction and nonfiction, fatherhood, and much more.

Ben’s passions span many domains. His story and work show both the power of purpose and the importance of not becoming confined to a single identity.

Whether through creative arts or connection forged during challenging outdoor experiences, transformation often begins with outlets that allow for authentic self-expression and community development. This is what Ben advocates for through VOAG and what he consistently demonstrates in his exceptional writing.

For more from Ben, check out The Transition.

Here are some of my favorites from his Substack:

* Transition Interview with Mark Twight

* Transition Interview with Brad Geary

* What We Already Know

* Anhedonia

* Usefulness

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