Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Reinke.
Hi Robert, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In December of 2014, my firstborn son, Benjamin Thomas, passed away in the arms of my wife and I. Benjamin was a little saint in the truest sense of the word–pure, innocent, and knowing only love. He lived to be just four months old, but he impacted countless lives, most notably his parents’.
Benjamin lived out his mission on Earth in just four short months, and it struck me that if he accomplished his mission in such a short period of time, what is it that I was waiting for? Following a pretty traditional path after high school, I went and earned a four-year college degree in business management. I started a career and worked my way into management at a financial company. It was a good job in that it allowed me to purchase my first home, a humble one, but my first piece of real estate nonetheless. It was also a good job in that I got to meet and work with some great people.
However, I was always restless in this job, as I knew deep down that it wasn’t my calling–it wasn’t my vocation or mission. I had always felt prompted, as if there was a burning flame inside, to do something more–to create. When it struck me that if my son, Benjamin, could complete his life’s mission in four months, what was I waiting for!?
In the months after Benjamin’s passing, along with wrestling with God and with grief, it became clear that if I was called to something more, there would never be a convenient time to go for it–ever! So if not now, then when? So, within just a couple of months after the loss of Benjamin, and making sure to have things in order as best I could, I left my secure job with a fire newly kindled and growing. And then, I began working on my first novel as well as establishing my own business.
Now, fast-forward to today, here in 2022, and my novel is published. Sure, I’m a first-time author without too much exposure… yet… But I am proud of how the book turned out and discovered my love for writing. My novel is called “The Mountaineer”. It is a fictional adventure about a teenage boy, John, who gets stranded in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains.
There are several layers within “The Mountaineer”, from the tangible survival story, to stories playing out in John’s mind of memories from throughout his life, to the more intangible thoughts John is experiencing as he faces his own mortality.
I wrote this story for a simple purpose, which was to write a story similar to the types of novels I enjoyed when I was younger (“Hatchet”, “My Side of the Mountain”, “Where the Red Fern Grows”, etc.). I simply wanted to contribute one more story like this to society for teenagers and young adults to also enjoy and learn from. My hope is that not only will this novel be enjoyed for the adventure that it is, but also for the life lessons that I hope radiate from its pages.
One of the characters in the story is my fifth-grade elementary teacher made fictional–with her permission of course! She was my favorite teacher growing up, and so to make her a character in a novel was the least I could do to say thank you for the work ethic and love of learning and creating she helped to instill in me. She is now a principal and is still impacting the lives of countless children as they grow to find their life’s calling.
With this book complete, I am now working on several more novels, which are also works of fiction, but fiction within completely different genres.
But, back to my son Benjamin: not only did he give me the spark to write my first novel–all 288 pages of it–to not give up, to persevere, but he also gave me the courage to take a true leap of faith in starting my own business. After his passing, I established Majesty Creations, and began operations. I didn’t even know where my first client would come from, but I knew and believed they would. My business is a video production company that produces videos for small businesses, but predominantly for non-profit organizations. I found a life-giving mission in working with organizations like these that are doing great work for society.
My story, while simple, is a story that I am humbled and proud to share, in that if it can give even one other soul the courage to take a leap of faith, to answer a calling, then I know that my simple story was worth sharing.
Every person on this planet has a calling, and imagine if every person on this planet was encouraged to take their leap of faith to answer that call–what a world this would be!
Since the passing of Benjamin Thomas, my wife and I now have three healthy young children who keep us smiling.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Building a business, writing a book, raising children, and experiencing the loss of a child is never a smooth road. But it’s bumpy roads that lead to somewhere beautiful.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am most proud of writing my first novel and becoming a self-taught cinematographer/video editor/producer/director and business owner–so to put it simply, what I am most proud, and humbled by, is that I was able to turn my desire to create into a career, as well as a mission!
What sets myself apart is the ability to tell a story in a way that goes to a deeper level, like in our video productions we are able to share the basic message, yes, but with heart and emotion that can articulate visually big, complex ideas simply.
What I believe sets me apart as a writer is my ability to write a story that, when reading it, plays like a movie in the reader’s mind. I enjoy painting the picture visually so that the reader feels like they are placed right within the pages themselves.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I live in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, just north of them in an area that affords my family the freedom to enjoy the great outdoors of Minnesota, from fishing and swimming in its beautiful lakes, to its many great state parks and bike trails. The Twin Cities are a dynamic community made up of friendly, hard-working people, and I’m proud to live here.
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