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Brian Helfman
Founder & Chief Experience Officer at Third Nature
Brian Helfman is the Chief Experience Officer and founder of Third Nature, a platform dedicated to enhancing clarity, creativity, and connection among individuals and organizations. With over a decade of experience as an entrepreneur, experience designer, facilitator, and coach, he has developed a unique approach to creating engaging experiences that foster personal and professional growth.
Professional Background
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Founder & Chief Experience Officer at Third Nature (formerly Startup Island)
- Since January 2022, Helfman has led Third Nature in offering various services such as:
- Adult Summer Camp Weekends: Designed for individuals seeking intentional living.
- Virtual Community Events: Free weekly sessions aimed at learning and connecting.
- Reflection Workshops: Seasonal workshops to facilitate personal growth.
- Facilitator Trainings: Programs for those interested in leading connected gatherings.
- Custom Workshops: Tailored experiences for corporate teams and non-profits.
- Since January 2022, Helfman has led Third Nature in offering various services such as:
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Previous Roles:
- Program Director at Experience Camps for Grieving Children
- Co-Founder and CEO at TAABS
- VP of Business Development at Inside Sports & Entertainment
Education
Brian holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
Philosophy and Approach
Helfman emphasizes the importance of enjoyment in the learning process, believing that engaging experiences can significantly enhance human interactions. His initiatives often involve reflective storytelling exercises that help participants connect with their aspirations and each other.
Community Engagement
Through Third Nature, Brian actively encourages collaboration and exploration of ideas, aiming to inspire collective growth within a supportive community. He also maintains a newsletter to keep followers updated on events and insights related to personal development.
Brian Helfman's work is characterized by his passion for nature and real-life gatherings, making him a prominent figure in the field of experiential learning and community building.
Highlights
Here’s one of the many reasons I love Third Nature Summer Camp: While I consider myself “Head Counselor” and am a facilitator / leader first…I’m also a participant, alongside some of the most kind, thoughtful, optimistic, creative, fun, and supportive people I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. While we have an incredible team in place to provide a seamless and powerful experience, we’ve always treated these weekends as a co-creation. When every participant contributes with their unique essence and lived experience, every participant receives so much more - myself included. This being our 9th year doing adult summer camp weekends, it feels like we’ve found the perfect mix of: experiential workshops and play rest and movement structure and flow connection to self, others, and nature Every year, I leave feeling more: clear on what I want connected to why I want it creative in how to get it confident in my ability to make it happen supported by a community of people who get it And yes, this is still all a work in progress. Good thing another Third Nature Summer Camp is coming up, 8 days from today. Grateful to be leading alongside Andrea M. and Brian Ardavin, and to participate in workshops led by Emily Chertow, Nicole Kelner, Abrielle Mason, Jan Almasy, Debra Olshan Cooper, and Andrea Koppel, Career Magic Maker.
Last week, I took an unplanned 5 days off from work. Here's why... I woke up on Thursday, August 1st ready for a jam-packed workday. Meetings till 2pm, and then three big to-do's that I was committed to tackling. I set myself up for a focused, productive day, and it was off to a great start. When my last meeting ended, I saw a text from my father-in-law: "Please call me asap." I thought he needed help with something computer related. But as I went to walk outside and give him a call, I heard my wife in the living room - she received a text from another relative that made her nervous. So we called her dad together. Then we received the tragic news. My wife’s brother, Aaron, had passed away. He was 54. It was a complete shock. The next few hours were a blur, but one thing was clear: That to-do list that felt so important and urgent in one moment, all of a sudden didn't matter at all. The two weeks since then have been focused on what matters right now - family. And yes, after cancelling Fridays With Third Nature on August 2nd, we got back to it on August 9th. After not sending my newsletter on August 5th, I shared another version of this post on August 12th.
Third Nature Summer Camp is in 15 days.
And I'm still running the Leaders In Training program at Experience Camps for Grieving Children next week. Nine years as a counselor at grief camp has proven to be very helpful during this time. Work still matters to me, and in many ways, these last two weeks have given me a deeper understanding of the importance of the work that I do. But showing up for those closest to me comes first. Because we never know how much time any of us have left.
— What matters most to you will naturally evolve over time. Some things that really mattered to me when I was 25, don't matter at all now that I'm 35. And some things that didn't matter to me until recently, matter a whole lot now. Coming face-to-face with death always has a way of putting things in perspective.
