CEO and Founder
Cyndi is married to the man of her dreams, a Momma of 3 daughters, 1 step-son, 3 son's-in-loves and —so far— 6 grandbabies. She resides in Branson, MO but if you listen close enough you'll hear her native Canadian accent. She loves spending time outdoors in every season, hiking, boating, camping, cooking, reading, writing, and studying nutrition and business.
Cyndi is the Founder and CEO of the Grace and Strength Lifestyle. She has her degree in Business Accounting and is also a certified nutrition and wellness consultant as well as a certified personal trainer. Cyndi has been a featured columnist for several health and sports based publications on topics such as nutrition, exercise, weight loss, family health, and woman's health.
Cyndi has coached, ministered, and counseled hundreds of men and women to achieve their weight loss goals both one-on-one and in group settings through churches, health clubs and home groups. With many documented health and personal testimonies of healing and wholeness, Cyndi celebrates the victories of each of her clients.
Cyndi is looking forward to walking this journey along side YOU and helping you reach the freedom you are looking for while becoming all you're called to be!!
My Testimony
A live recording of founder, Cyndi Benson, sharing her heart and vision for this program.
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How it all started
After being rushed to the ER with fatal oxygen levels on January 28, 1998, because of a lack of self-care I KNEW something had to change QUICKLY. You see, at that time, I was a wife, a Mother of three amazing (busy) daughters, a career as a Bank Officer, an active part of our church community, a volunteer at my girl's schools, and I was navigating a life change that was extremely stressful; trying to balance it all just like you might be. In the midst of the balancing act I dropped one of the most important balls, myself.
I found myself heavier than I had ever been, stressed to the max, trying to keep up with the demands of life and obviously not doing a very good job of it. I had neglected my self-care. No longer was I making time for intentional exercise, no longer was I eating only foods God created. Who has time for all that when you're SO busy? Stress management was nonexistent and good night's sleep was hit or miss. Everybody else got the best of me but me!!
After God so graciously saved my life, I knew I had to make a change. I was the only mother my girls had. What I thought was being the best Mom I could be for them turned into a life where they almost didn't have a Mom.
Fast forward – I decided to leave the banking world and go back to school so that I could help other women not go through what I did. I wanted them to take care of themselves, so they could be all God called them to be, so they could walk in victory, in confidence, and be able to live into their priorities. I went back to school and became a certified personal trainer, nutrition and wellness consultant. I reclaimed my health, my peace and my joy and began leading women in my community and my church to do the same!!
On March 5, 2003 God spoke to my heart a VERY specific word. He told me, "Cyndi I want you to break the bondage of weight off women. I want you to lead by example. Set the path and lead these women to freedom." YIKES...I had NO idea what that looked like, but He did. After relocating to a small tourist town in April of 2005 and realizing there wasn't any fitness/nutrition studios to work at, I began a sales position and by the grace of God I became their top sales person within a year and a half making over a quarter of million dollars a year. Life was good!! We were able to give to our community like we never have; we were happy.
But guess what? There was always this 'nudge' that I knew was the Lord. You see, God was continuously tugging at my heart to DO what he asked me to do; help him break the bondages of weight off his daughters.
One Saturday morning in September 2009, while I was at work, God told me my time there was done. It was time I did what he had been speaking to my heart to do for the last 4½ years. Without any hesitation at all I quit that high-paying job that day and came home and told my husband, "I Hope you don't mind babe, but I quit my job today." Haha!!
Was this risky? Yes, it was. Going from $250K a year to ZERO overnight was not only risky, but downright crazy to some people. But, I knew if God called me to it HE would see me through it. I knew He knew what we needed to come in to pay our bills. I knew God is a God of his word. I knew He provides for where He guides. I knew I only had to do HIS WILL, what he said to do and as long as I kept myself out of the way, I knew this couldn't and wouldn't fail.
I got to work! God poured into me every night, giving me download after download. Within months I founded The Grace and Strength Lifestyle, a Christian Weight Loss Program that would change women from the inside out. Who knew that within months The Grace and Strength Lifestyle would be in many states and around the world. It went from a single group of ladies in my living room once a week to multiple weekly online 'live' small groups of women gathered together around the world to hear God's truth and be set free from the bondages of weight!!
It is my heart and passion, as well as that of our team, to see women find hope, wholeness, health, and freedom in every area of their lives. The stories of our graduates are often saturated with those very sentiments. Frequently, we hear our graduates say, "I came to Grace and Strength to lose weight, but what I received was SO MUCH MORE!"
Today, as you browse this site, watch the videos, listen to the Success Stories of real clients — just like you — my prayer is that, if you feel the gentle tug of the Holy Spirit nudging you to take this leap of faith, do it!! Like I said earlier, if HE led you to it, not only will He provide for it but you can rest assured you will not fail with Jesus at the center of it all.
I can't wait to meet YOU!!!
In Him,
Cyndi Benson
Founder and CEO