Benjamin Wagner is a consultant, creative and founder of Essential Industries, a boutique consulting firm specializing in individual and organizational strategy, transformation, communication and collaboration.

As Essential Industries Principal, Benjamin offers strategic consulting, professional and executive coaching, editorial, marketing and communication services, keynote speaking and workshops.

From his half-decade helping launch Facebook’s Journalism Project globally and his tenure transforming MTV News, to his award-winning PBS documentary, Mister Rogers & Me, Friends & Neighbors podcast, or recent album, Constellations, Benjamin's focus is the essential nature of our shared human experience.

"Benjamin leveraged his experience and expertise to help our team gain comfort and confidence with the difficult realities of their work, and suggested practical and tangible steps towards success."

- Áine, Dublin

"In someone else's hands, a topic like workplace wellness might come across as academic or mystical. But Benjamin shares the fundamentals of human behavior in an authentic, approachable, and actionable way."

- Lindsay, Wilmington

"Working with Benjamin provided practical, valuable, and actionable communications insights applicable to the industry keynote we were prepping, the company more broadly, as well as my day-to-day engagements."

- John, San Diego

“Benjamin has been a key advisor in all facets of my startup. His embrace and expansion of my vision, and use of his deep experience and expertise accelerated and amplified our launch and growth.”

- Elizabeth, Wilmington

"Benjamin’s workshop provided the kind of thoughtful and lightweight nudge our team needs periodically to keep grounded, aligned, and productive." 

- John, Wilmington

"Benjamin is a person of vision, and is not afraid of the hard work it takes to get things done.  He’s been a great partner."

- Charlie, Portland

Benjamin Wagner is a consultant, creative, and founder of Essential Industries, a boutique consulting firm specializing in individual and organizational strategy, transformation, communication, and collaboration.

As Essential Industries Principal, Benjamin offers strategic consulting, professional and executive coaching, editorial, marketing, and communication services, keynote speaking, and workshops.

From his half-decade helping launch Facebook’s Journalism Project globally and his tenure transforming MTV News to his award-winning PBS documentary, Mister Rogers & Me, forthcoming Friends & Neighbors documentary (and current podcast of the same name), or recent album, Constellations, Benjamin's focus is the essential nature of our shared human experience.

"Working with Benjamin provided practical, valuable, and actionable communications insights applicable to the industry keynote we were prepping, the company more broadly, as well as my day-to-day engagements."

- John, San Diego

"Benjamin’s workshop provided the kind of thoughtful and lightweight nudge our team needs periodically to keep grounded, aligned, and productive."

- John, Wilmington

"In someone else's hands, a topic like workplace wellness might come across as academic or mystical. But Benjamin shares the fundamentals of human behavior in an authentic, approachable, and actionable way."

- Lindsay, Wilmington

"Benjamin leveraged his experience and expertise to help our team gain comfort and confidence with the difficult realities of their work, and suggested practical and tangible steps towards success."

- Áine, Dublin

"Benjamin is a person of vision, and is not afraid of the hard work it takes to get things done.  He’s been a great partner."

- Charlie, Portland

“Benjamin embraced and expanded on my vision, using his deep experience and expertise to accelerate and amplify our launch and growth.”

- Elizabeth, Wilmington

Sep 25 2023

Abbie Kearse: Sweat The Technique

As a writer, reporter and producer for “The Week in Rock” and a wide range of documentaries including “Gangsta Rap: An MTV News Special Report,” Abbie Kearse sat down with some of rock and hip-hop’s biggest legends and tackled some of the most important social issues of the day. In addition to covering monster rock acts…
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Sep 19 2023

Michael Alex: Golden Years

Few MTV News staffers had a run like Michael Alex. For sixteen years of MTV News’ heyday, Michael did it all, from producing The Week in Rock and Choose or Loose, to spearheading the launch of MTV News Dot Com, and interviewing all of the greats from The Ramones to The Replacements, Mick Jagger to…
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Sep 15 2023

“Friends & Neighbors” Documentary To Premiere

America is suffering a mental health crisis. In 2021, reports of anxiety rose 3x. 53% of US adults and 68% of African Americans said that the pandemic had negatively affected their mental health. Gun violence and hate crimes are up. Adolescent suicide rates have quadrupled. 60% of Americans experience at least one adverse childhood experience.…
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Sep 12 2023

John Norris: Material Man

In two decades at MTV News, Correspondent John Norris interviewed everyone from Tupac to Britney Spears, Janet to Elton, Senator John McCain to Vice President Al Gore. He began as an intern, seized the anchor desk in 1992, and went on to quarterback MTV’s “Choose or Lose” election coverage and lead pro-social programming on drug…
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Jun 6 2023

Luke Russert: Hero’s Quest

When Luke Russert lost his father, legendary journalist, Tim Russert, in 2008, the then 22-year-old girded himself against grief, eulogized him in front of presidents and politicos, and received condolences and handshakes with a rigid jaw. Months later, he took a once-in-a-lifetime offer to join NBC News. Eight years into his tenure on Capitol Hill,…
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May 30 2023

Hannah Storm: Little Earthquakes

In sharing her story, Headlines Network Founder Hannah Storm empowers us all to share ours. “If I go into a therapy session, and they’re like, ‘Let’s talk about x,'” she says, “I’m like, ‘And let’s talk about all the other letters in the alphabet.'” The host of the Behind The Headlines podcast, and outspoken mental health…
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