Ben, I think you comic approach is refreshing, and don’t share this persons anology.
Keep up the excellent work. I truy enjoy your build a break lessons. Keep em’ coming.
Again we need a little comedy to relieve some tension when we are learning lessons.
Earl Stewart
Gold Pick Member
Let nothing discourage you, keep it coming, Ben! Your and the team’s comic videos are very refreshing unlike the comedies that require the simulated laugh, and I always liked them even to the extent that I wished you produced them more often. Maybe the well wisher just had a bad day to have wrongly learnt and expressed himself better off than you in the maturity department, but I guess he never realized the “growing up” is about inner virtues and not about outward expressions! Any approach for business model can work as long as you don’t over exert, as long as your principles are not compromised. Pure profit making model could easily lead/force you into compromise though.
2020 has been a bummer of a year for all of us. A little levity is worth a lot; laughter is free and healthy. As they say it’s the best medicine. I think the videos you produce are evidence that you spend a lot of time “running” your business. The corporate approach isn’t hands on and sometimes makes me feel that the only thing that matters is my money. Dance and we can dance along with you.
I love this!
That’s awesome! Ben can pull off the comedy because of his talent!
The best advice, different than my initial post, is to ask your wife! 
Ben,
DONT CHANGE YOUR HUMOR ,
DONT CHANGE YOUR APPROACH OR PRESENTATIONS.
Continue to make the small positive changes to improve your presentations, that people may suggest and you feel will improve things. But to leave the funny humor and “Ben uniqueness “ intact.
You inspired in my performances—- Banjovi —ability to play the banjo and humor in the presentation.
Wow, thank y’all for your feedback! There is lots of helpful and affirming stuff here.
Now, let me dig into it a bit more.
How many remember the site before this one? Remember the artwork I had and the more overt corniness (like the contact page with the can of beans held up to me ear)? Remember the silly homepage tour video (here you go: https://youtu.be/GEHUilpnlns)?
I had every intention to bring that humor into this site–truth is that the developer dropped the ball on lots of stuff and artwork/design took a backseat to functionality.
So, with the new site I’m doing now I have the decision to make–which direction to go? I’ll never be completely serious in my content and I’ll always make comedy videos, but personally I want to make the entire site experience fun, maybe even uncomfortable at times, but in a good way. I want a site that other folks want their friends to see so they can laugh together. I’ve grown up laughing and it’s served me well, and I want others to laugh with me–that’s kind of my “love language” if that makes sense.
There’s so much serious in this world, and I think it’s great art to combine quality content with honest humor. But forget about what I think–what do you think? Again, be honest.
Dear Mr. Clark,
Thank you for being you.
You are exactly why I joined.
You are who I connect with.
I looked @ some other online teachers, I never signed up. They were, well, boring.
I’m going to make a confession…I am an immature 58 year old woman. Often I tell myself I should grow up. But I am who I am. I love practical jokes, as long as no one is hurt (especially me at my age). I love to laugh.
Last week I pulled one of my favorite jokes that usually gets a ton of laughs, the two people involved just looked @ me like I was an idiot. You know what, I’m not. And I certainly don’t want to be with them when poop hits the fan, because that is when you really need a funny bone!
I thought the last video was impressive!
There were some amazing moves for men not in their teens or twenties!
I showed it to my niece who is thirty, her first comment was that guy is ripped!
And she too thought the video was funny!
I admit I was hoping you would get your hair cut after the video. I see you have!
Not quite what I was hoping for 
But be you Ben!
I love you!
We love you!
I miss the humorous touches of the old site. I’m reminded of when I used to have a land line and answering machine. My greetings were always me playing guitar and singing something funny. Most days, I’d come home to multiple hang ups, followed by “Its just me again. I wanted Marge to hear your message this time.”
Adding your little touches of humor will likely bring in more people just because folks will share something they found funny. It’s kinda like built in advertising.
It’s a numbers game. I feel strongly that the number of people who appreciate it far exceeds the number who don’t.
@BanjoBen, I never saw your old website until watching this video link…only been coming here since 2018 (I think)…although some of the lessons I’ve seen have been from that period. So with that disclaimer in place, here’s yet another solicited VOC (voice of the customer) comment:
First of all, I’m impressed you have taken the time to ask the forum members for an opinion…that means something in and of itself.
Even on the previous website, the walk-through demo was very professional and informative.
Dance with the one who brought ya…and whatever you do, don’t stop dancing.
You have grown up…in a number of ways…the video editing and recording has improved, the content has improved, the teaching techniques have improved, the teacher persona has warmed, the website has improved, the store offerings have improved even over the last 2 years. Now that you have grown your brand enough to have more people involved in producing it, it has benefited from the broadening of experience and contributions that can come in no other way. I always like to think of this kind of phenomena as “multiplying your expertise”.
I do get the “love language” reference, and encourage you to never abandon it. That doesn’t mean you will always have to use the exact same characters or jokes, and over time even what you find to be funny…has or will change a little. I don’t expect you to go backwards in the way you present yourself or your website, but it’s OK to add in those fun and silly things throughout. The point is to always have fun doing what you do, because if you are having fun and being true to yourself, it will likely come across as such. That’s why I’m now a lifetime member, and why I felt compelled to respond to your solicitation for opinions. I suspect I’m not alone.
@BanjoBen what @xmark stated is the same way I feel I also have not seen your old site and if it was anything like this site I bet it was a lot of fun with a bunch of great and fun members, your site and one other site is pretty much my life other than my wife, you and the people here give me things to laugh about in a good way so keep it going
@gwaldrop don’t need them either 
:joy just kidding I loved my mother in law when she was still with us she was a vary funny old bird and could tell you some of the best stories passed at the age of 99 missed her 100th birth day by 2 days we celebrated it a week early because we knew it was getting close
Hello Mark,
Have never watched any of the joke videos as am here for the interplay and the education. Actually went away and watched the Ninja/ Chuck Norris video yesterday and can say that I have now written to Mr Clark addressing my concerns accordingly 
The more I read it the more I heard my wife (and she is great) berating me.
Lol I only ever spell it beaver, and it’s definitely intentional
Hi Ben, Yes I remember it well and all the beautiful artwork, that was really what caught my eye and drew me into the site to explore more. As well you know, but probability many folks here don’t know I used to built websites and I know first hand the amount of work involved especially working with images and graphic art not to mention all the links to the videos, mp3 and TAB files. I loved that old site and when you initially set up this site I was pretty unimpressed and disappointed that you had to forgo the art and many of the other features you had promised to include. But despite the setbacks this site and the lesson content has grown massively in addition this forum and the Gold Pick Membership has grown with it. I seem to recall you saying that you rarely visited the forum on the old site. So that in it’s self is a big plus.
When I see pictures of the General Store it reminds me of that old website. In fact I have a picture of your billboard right here on my computer desktop. So that when I power it up each day it transports me to banjo land. A land of music, laughter and fellowship.
Ben I see where your heading with this and I am confident that what you choose to do will be awesome.
So before you head off to your corporate rocking chair to plan the next NEW website take a moment to reflect on this image from 2011 which I believe was the first website you created
@BanjoBen I have learned more from your lessons (including your antics) in the past year than I have from any other teacher. God made you who you are, so stick with what works.
Why? You mean cause he has no neck?
Always liked this picture from the old site. Think it would make a great logo on a t-shirt
I take it the new hair style was done as a double dare, bet or to raise money for a needy charity close to your heart @BanjoBen . If not I will refrain from expressing an opinion.
