“I wanted to be an actor,” said Chuck Beyer, the current general manager of operations for the $25 million golf and luxury complex coming to Lake Nona known as Drive Shack.
Growing up in Memphis, Tenn., Beyer was born into his family’s fire alarm business that had been around since the 1950s. He was content for awhile finding work within the family company as he obtained a degree in business. Since he had in interest in acting, Chuck also attended theatrical school in his hometown. Eventually, he wanted to drift away from business and move further into the entertainment world. Beyer found himself moving to Los Angeles, where he eventually got a theatrical degree.
Beyer’s acting career began to pick up speed when he landed one of his biggest hits, a role as a co-star playing Robin Brady in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. He also starred in other entertainment pieces such as Justine, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Melrose Place. For Chuck, his Hollywood inspirations were actors such as Tom Cruise and Marlon Brando. Cruise’s acting in A Few Good Men and Brando’s roles in films such as A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront really inspired Beyer. He wanted to be just like them, in the spotlight and playing solid roles. Besides finding personal joy in acting, he also admitted that a life of fame and fortunate was the other part.
Eventually, Chuck crossed paths with an acting coach he would never forget. Her name was Gloria Gifford. Gifford was a huge key in changing his thought process and his outlook on life. She made him see the world from a different perspective. Her ideas were based on how to be a true leader. It was getting people to believe what you were saying from their hearts, then they also would believe with their minds. With such a positive impact on someone, Gifford preached that it would lead you to change the world to make it a better place. At that moment, Beyer opened his heart to her words and changed the course of his life. “It was no longer about me. It was how I affected other people,” expressed Beyer. The Tom Cruise and Marlon Brando that he admired didn’t seem so special to him anymore. They were amazing actors, but Chuck saw that there was more to living than vanity. He realized that the one true place to get a huge outreach of touching people’s lives and making a difference for the greater good was through the hospitality industry. Chuck dropped acting and went to work in the restaurant business in LA.
Chuck did not want to be the man in the spotlight anymore. He wanted to be the man behind the curtain. He wanted to shine the spotlight on others to help them grow and become leaders themselves. People became his passion. One of many people Chuck claims to have impacted is an individual by the name of Jimmy. Beyer stumbled upon him when he came looking for work at a new company he had opened up in Mississippi. Jimmy came to work for Chuck as a dishwasher, and he had the brightest personality and was full of life. However, Beyer would notice the young man had mood swings and at times would lose his joy and positivity. Chuck later discovered Jimmy came from an abusive family that was caught up in drugs and did not provide the best environment. However, doing the best he could, Chuck provided Jimmy with a work environment he felt welcomed to be in, and the kindness and warmth shown to the boy inspired him. The leadership that Chuck portrayed encouraged Jimmy to better himself. It wasn’t long until Chuck set him up to room with a co-worker to get him out of the negative energy at home. Soon after that, Jimmy’s life began to excel. He took up a position at the front of the house instead of being in the back kitchen. He was promoted into a supervisory role, and as of today, Jimmy is the general manager of the same operation. Chuck was able to take a boy with potential, set him on the right track and ultimately lead him toward success and a fruitful life. Jimmy grew up with no education and had very little, but Chuck saw his potential and helped turn him into a full-bloomed flower. After knowing each other for 12 years, the two still keep in touch to this day.
“Don’t look at work as a void you’re filling for yourself, look at it as an impact you’re having on someone’s life everyday. It’s a bigger picture than yourself,” says Chuck. Currently, with Drive Shack, he sits down with the team and reads a leadership book to them. As a group, they learn how to appreciate one another and how to effectively work and communicate as a healthy unit. One of the most important keys is to remove your ego and work at the same level as everyone else.
Chuck’s plan for the future is to keep touching as many lives as possible. He states that once Drive Shack opens up, Lake Nona residents, along with everyone else attracted to the area, will have the most hospitable place to go.
