Ep 256 One World in a New World with Elinor Stutz
What if the experiences that nearly break us are actually invitations to discover who we came here to become?
In this inspiring episode of One World in a New World, Zen Benefiel welcomes international bestselling author, speaker, sales innovator, and Nice Girls DO Get the Sale author Elinor Stutz for a remarkable conversation about intuition, resilience, relationships, storytelling, self-belief—and turning life's unexpected challenges into service.
Elinor's story changed dramatically at age 55.
Following two serious traffic accidents and hospitalization, she experienced what she describes as a near-death experience surrounded by brilliant golden light. Two extraordinary visions emerged: one of herself speaking before audiences and another resembling a "life report card."
One side reflected what she had accomplished.
The other—community service—was blank.
In that moment, Elinor made a commitment that would redirect her life: if she walked out of the hospital, she would find ways to give back and empower others.
She did.
But perhaps even more remarkable is what followed.
Elinor shares how speaking directly and confidently to her surgeon became part of what medical staff later called her miraculous recovery. She recounts an extraordinary encounter with a mysterious physician after the accident, the intuition that compelled her to leave the Ambassador Hotel shortly before Robert F. Kennedy's assassination, and the breadcrumbs that continued appearing throughout her life.
Yet this conversation isn't simply about extraordinary experiences.
It's about what we do with them.
Elinor and Zen explore how curiosity, careful observation, listening, intuition and genuine interest in another person can transform everything from sales and leadership to friendship and everyday human connection.
Her sales philosophy is remarkably simple:
Stop trying to sell people and start getting to know them.
Ask better questions.
Listen carefully.
Observe.
Share stories.
Discover what actually matters to the person in front of you.
Elinor demonstrates that philosophy through wonderfully entertaining stories—from selling Girl Scout cookies at age ten and interviewing her way through a male-dominated corporate sales culture to turning a hostile security guard into an unexpected ally with one tiny Halloween candy bar.
Behind the humor is a profound lesson:
People remember how we make them feel.
Perhaps relationship-building isn't a sales technique at all.
Perhaps it's simply what happens when we become genuinely curious about another human being.
And perhaps resilience begins the same way—by becoming curious about ourselves.
Elinor's closing invitation beautifully summarizes a lifetime of experience:
Believe. Become. Empower.
Believe in yourself.
Become the person you know you can be.
Then empower others to discover the same possibility within themselves.
Join us for a warm, funny, surprising and deeply human exploration of resilience, intuition, storytelling, sales, service and what becomes possible when we finally decide to live life our own way.
What might change if you stopped trying to convince people—and became genuinely curious about them instead?
Connect with Elinor:
Elinor's Books: https://amzn.to/4ymX2t8
Elinor's website: https://smoothsale.net/
Join this channel to get access to perks:
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Connect with Zen: / zenbenefiel
Zen's books: https://amazon.com/author/zendor
Zen's Coaching: https://BeTheDream.com
Zen's CV et al: https://zenbenefiel.com
The Octopus Movement (non-linear thinkers): https://theoctopusmovement.org
