Rebecca Binnendyk - Chief Fun Officer

Rebecca Binnendyk

Rebecca Binnendyk is a CFO (Chief FUN Officer), voiceover artist, musician, and life coach for individuals and organizations looking to create a work environment that brings fulfillment, loyalty, and makes a difference in the world. Rebecca’s driving mission is to reinvigorate and revitalize adults and businesses alike by adding joy back into their work and lives.

She is the creator of the Fun Out of Life coaching programs, where she works closely with organizations to extract tension and facilitate an environment of fun and fulfillment. She has been featured in US News, Huffington Post, Lifehack, The Bizzy Buzz, and the Daily Love.

As an accomplished voiceover artist, she’s been heard in worldwide commercials, kid’s music, and radio ads. As the owner of a voiceover agency, she connects businesses and voiceover artists from all over the globe and helps them create compelling sounds. Rebecca is a lifelong humanitarian and has spent time backpacking mountains, teaching children in third-world countries, and performing music in multiple continents. She’s produced two albums and partnered with Plan International to donate the proceeds to the care of women and children in Uganda.

I’m so excited for you to connect with Rebecca, check out her work, and follow along as she continues to encourage others to change the world and change yourself, by having fun.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

Hi there. My name is Rebecca Binnendyk. I’m the NEW breed of CFO, your Chief Fun Officer. Using fun, I help individuals and businesses redesign how they operate so they can build a thriving, sustainable culture. I do this in a way that creates an environment where employees want to be, where relationships are built, and where clients/customers want to continue their business. Adding fun and a positive work culture helps companies experience increased profits, charities raise more money, family relationships improve, and everybody enjoys what they're doing. My mission is to find a way for people to experience more fun in their everyday lives.

How did you get started?

Most of what I’ve ever started was actually not done on purpose. I am creative and hard-working, but I need to be having fun and helping people along the way. I’ve had varied career experience such as: therapy/counselling, education, entertainment, customer service, network marketing, real estate investment, tourism and more.

Honestly, I love to explore and try new things. I’ve discovered that my strengths are wide spread and could take me any number of paths. About 3 years ago I was feeling a little stuck and needed 10K for a down payment. I was substitute teaching at the time and heading into 2.5 months of unemployment. 

On a whim, I jumped on a plane to Beijing and for the next 37 days, I found myself working in studios doing a huge variety of “voice work. I even directed and produced a musical in 7 days for kids 8-12 years old (I’d never done that before but it paid well and I was game to try!). Despite the $1500 flight and the $1000 Airbnb, I came home with more than enough money for that down payment. 

A few months later (after a second trip to Beijing) I built a home studio under my stairs (where it still is), offered remote services to studios (remote voice work was almost unheard of in Beijing at the time) I’d developed relationships with and voila, company #1 began. 

Once I had scaled the VO company, I found I was missing something. I found myself coaching people both on and off my team, I recognized my skills as a leader and the ability I had to creatively solve problems. More than anything, my innate ability to work with and understand people stood out as a huge asset in my own business.

What inspired the work that you're doing?

I could be sitting at a gym overhearing a conversation or talking to a friend and I would constantly hear complaints about their workplaces. They would tell me how great it must be to work for myself. Sometimes the things they were complaining about seemed to miniscule, I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t mention something to a boss or why, if they did, a boss wouldn’t do anything. 

Not only that, for the last few years, it’s become an increasingly popular fad to “quit” corporate. I guess what inspired me was the desire I had for more people to live a life they were actually able to enjoy. For a long time, I have lived a life of fun and have had many adventures. I’ve also lived with little fear and have been willing to try just about anything. 

I wanted to teach people (CEO’s and new job recruits alike) how to do this. If we had this attitude of fun and exploration, the potential for huge improvements in the workplace are endless. Not everyone can just quit their job and become a YouTube sensation, so I believe we must go back to the root of the problem, dig deep to weed out the issues and make “work” a better place for people to be.

We spend a huge chunk of our lives at work, and life at work affects not only you, but your family/friends and anyone else who you interact with. I thought if I could improve individuals lives (both the CEO’s and employees), the impact businesses could make on the world (improved employee morale, better customer service, higher revenues, more innovative ideas, greater desire to give back to society etc.) the better the world would be as a whole.

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

My passion is spreading joy and knowledge to the world. My grandma called me her “smiling girl” and when I was dancing on my grandpa’s ottoman, he said, “she just needs a stage”. I love that I can say I lead by example and practice what I preach. My life IS fun, I DO take risks, and I live my life to the fullest. I love all people and see the potential in them that they do not. 

My purpose is to show people by example that life can be whatever you want it to be. That perspective is everything. You do not have to be defined by who you were yesterday. You do not have to be who society says you “should” be. You have a choice. You can choose to be who you want to be. That’s powerful. It’s also a huge responsibility that many don’t take on. 

Yes, I am living my passion and am constantly smiling. I have found my stage many times. This is just another stage I’m taking where I hope to inspire people to have fun in their lives and businesses so they can reap the incredible outcomes. The people I work with appreciate my authenticity, no BS approach to life. I’m passionate when I’m working with people who are ready, brave and willing to go deep with themselves to make the changes required to have deep joy and satisfaction in life.

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

The blueprint is a customized assessment that I sometimes use to discover if people/businesses are truly finding joy and functioning at their highest potential. It looks different every time, but mostly it builds a strong rapport and trust so I can work to my fullest capacity with a client. 

So many things bring me joy. From children laughing, nature, or jumping out of a plane. I can find joy almost anywhere through gratitude and positive thinking. I experience lows as well (as most artists can relate to), but I have taught myself to find joy, to be in awe, and to have fun no matter what the circumstance. 

However, I feel most alive when I’m in the ocean, diving. I feel like the world is still, my soul is free and life is simple. I also feel most alive when I’m in a third world country making a difference in someone’s life. Nothing lights me up more than faces of people who are grateful. Lastly, but certainly not least, I am passionate about music, about the message it can bring and about delivering that message from a stage. I love singing and touching people’s lives through music – especially when I don’t even know the impact the music has had.

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

Sometimes my intentions have actually been a joke. I playfully said to the universe that I would make 10K in 6 weeks, then 2 months later I jokingly said I would double that in less time (and I accomplished both). I guess I believe in magic, in a spiritual world beyond ourselves and in a higher power that is willing to give if we are willing to receive. 

I also believe I have nothing to lose. You could take away everything I own and I would still be rich, so when you have that mindset, I think you’re more willing to take risks when it comes to your intentions. I wake up every morning and say to myself, “who do I want to be? How do I want to act? How do I want to give? How do I want to receive?”. That helps me set intentions on a daily basis. 

I also set intentions and say crazy things out loud like “I’m going to be an international speaker”. I’m definitely not afraid (or care) of what people think or say about my crazy notions. I just figure I have to let the Universe know what I want. By doing that, there’s a better chance of it coming to pass!

I do practice yoga, weight lifting and meditation. I’m a go-go-go person, so I need these activities to keep me grounded and centred for sure. If I fall off the meditation horse though, I just accept what it is, forgive myself, and get back on. I think that’s key. Acceptance and not judging of yourself when you don’t quite live up to your own intentions.

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

Funny you ask. I was just looking at pictures from high school over the holidays. Oh, my goodness. I didn’t even recognize my past self. I remember her over reactions, how sensitive she was to everything and how she sabotaged herself on a regular basis. My younger self would probably say, “hell yeah!”. I think even though I struggled as a younger girl/woman, I knew somewhere deep down that I was meant to have greater impact on the world. She would be proud. She would say, “keep going… it’s not over yet!”.

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation? 

The only certainty in life is uncertainty, so keep going. Keep dreaming. Keep living. Life is short and Live Now! In fact, I wrote a song called Live Now after my cousin’s son suddenly died at 7 years old. He was a great example!

What is your biggest dream?

My biggest dream is that people would no longer judge others, and that we would live in peace and harmony. I wish we would see each other as equals and put our pride aside to help those in need. I dream of a global community where women and children could come and feel acknowledged and safe, where they could flourish and thrive doing what they love. I dream about a tribe of people raising the frequency of the world so we could see a healthier planet, healthier oceans and healthier minds and souls of all individuals.

To learn more and connect with Rebecca and her work, visit her website https://rebeccabinnendyk.com and on Facebook here Instagram @Rebecca_binnendyk and on YouTube here

Joy Corner is an interview-style blog series brought to you by Seek The Joy Podcast. Our mission continues to be a desire to share your stories, truths, joys and inspiration in your words. We invite you to join our corner, and share your joys, passions, and moments of inspiration as we continue to seek the joy, together. Join this series here