Meet Bren Briggs | Executive Director of The Eden Project, retired Army officer and former Marine

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bren Briggs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bren, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I got out of the Army after 28 years of service, I struggled. I thought I was prepared; I wasn’t. I thought there would be community services available for me and my family, but there wasn’t. I thought it would be a smooth transition from my uniform to post-military employment, it definitely was not.

I was not prepared for the different culture that existed in corporate America compared to the culture in the Army. My jokes were darker, my work ethic was different, and my expectation for structure and a “chain of command” left me disappointed. In addition, when I realized that I was struggling emotionally, there were no community services available to me and my family. I had a choice to crumble like so many other veterans did. I could have drank, started using drugs, engaged in inappropriate behavior, or created something to help me and others. I chose to create something, The Eden Project.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
There are many organizations that serve veterans. For that, I am eternally grateful. I was saved by two of these organizations and am deeply indebted to the fact that they are here serving the way they do. I am honored that our organization, The Eden Project can be counted among those great veteran-focused organizations that are truly serving the veteran community. I am very proud and excited that we received an award for our peer program in 2023. The Warrior Alliance, a very prestigious veteran-focused organization in Georgia, selected me and The Eden Project’s peer program as the 2023 Veteran Impact Award winner in the healthcare category. There were several very large, well-funded, well-established organizations in this category, but we were selected as the winner. It felt like a huge recognition for the years we have dedicated to serving veterans. The road to where we are now was definitely not easy. I always tell people that I know veterans, I know the military, I know what veteran families need but I don’t know anything about the non-profit world. It is nothing like I expected! But through an amazing team and a very supportive board of directors, we were able to not only provide our basic services but we have been recognized by senators, national-level veteran organizations, and local businesses.
Most of what we achieved was done because of the sheer willpower of our volunteers. None of us had any experience in the nonprofit world, but we all had lost friends to suicide and had experienced struggles of our own. So, it was willpower, prayer, and leaning on each other that made all of this happen.
I think the world needs to know that if you set your mind to something, truly believe in what you do, pray, and surround yourself with the right people, anything can happen. I know this sounds cliché-ick, but it’s true. Life and circumstances will get in the way, they always do. But if you have a clear plan and a strong team you can do anything.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am blessed to live in a growing and thriving community. We are just south of Atlanta and have some of the best movie industry set locations in the country. We could easily spend the entire week downtown Atlanta visiting the World of Coke Museum, the Atlanta Aquarium, and seeing a Braves baseball game or Falcons game depending on what time of the year my friend visited, but why? As a movie lover, I would start with a tour of one of the world’s largest movie studios, Trilith. Guardians of the Galaxy, Spiderman, Black Adam, and scores of other blockbuster movies have been filmed here with many more on the books to be filmed in the near future. There are several restaurants in the town of Trilith to pick from for lunch and dinner. I would have my friend stay at the new hotel, the Trilith Guesthouse that overlooks the movie studios. Breakfast each morning will alternate between the three restaurants in the hotel and Thumbs UP diner across the street. Day one would consist of a behind-the-scenes tour of the movie studio and the town of Trilith and a visit to my office that overlooks the beautiful town. A Walk in Trilith may see any number of A-list stars depending on what is being filmed at the time. The first day would end with a cigar and drink at the open-air bar on the top floor of the hotel. Day two would involve another movie set tour of the town 20 minutes away where The Walking Dead and other movies like Sweet Home Alabama were filmed. Several quaint restaurants and coffee shops are available in Senoia for lunch and dinner. A trip into Atlanta is a must since we are a short 30-to-45-minute drive. Atlanta has enough places to see and things to do to keep us busy for days. The week would end with a trip to the Bus Barn in Fayetteville. It’s got restaurants, bars, and a family park, plenty for everyone to do.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This is a great question! I am blessed that there are many people and organizations that I can credit for getting me to where I am. One person in particular is a fellow Army Officer and friend, Adam Anderson. He has stated several times that I helped him and saved him from a dark place, but he too was there for me when I needed someone. He helped get The Eden Project off the ground and was instrumental in the foundation of the organization. We are an all-volunteer organization. It is only with the support and dedication of our dozens of volunteers that we are able to do what we do. Over the past eight years that we have been a 501c3, we have served thousands of veterans and their families and are now serving first responders. We have saved the lives of 53 veterans who said they were suicidal, obtained housing, jobs, and assisted with VA claims for hundreds of veterans. All of this was done with volunteers. We do community service projects every year and average over 3,000 volunteer hours each year. I definitely would not be where I am without their help.

Website: https://eden-project.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theedenproject22/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenton-briggs-882a6236/

Podcast: https://theafteractionreport.buzzsprout.com