Brent Saeli

ARTICLES

Petoskey Smile Sign Man Brings Joy to Community

An Homage to Brent Saeli

EXPERIENCE

CHEF

March 2025

Worked as part of a team preparing gourmet meals in an off grid kitchen in Death Valley to support an 80 person men’s retreat

CREW CHEF & DECKHAND

November 2024

Served as the crew chef aboard the 125 foot ship “ROBERT GRAY”

VIPASSANA

March 2024 & 2025

10 Day Silent Meditation - completed one course as a student and returned the following year to serve as the student manager

STONE MASONRY

April 2024

Completed a stone shrine for St. Vincent de Paul's dining room, building multiple stone buildings using predominately natural materials

REEVIS MOUNTAIN SCHOOL OF SELF RELIANCE

May 2023

Helped manage a 13 acre homestead in the Superstition Mountains of AZ, working closely with founder Peter Bigfoot to water, plant & harvest garden, cook meals, care for livestock, maintain the property & orchard.  Obtained a certificate in Stone Masonry while building a cabin from river rocks

ANASAZI FOUNDATION

February 2023 – May 2023, ongoing

Guided youths (13 - 17 yrs) on 8 day primitive backcountry walkabouts in the Tonto National Forest of Arizona

SOCIETY OF SMILES

July 2019 – Present

Founder & President of an organization promoting the act of smiling, the things that make us smile, and making other people smile!

LAKE SUPERIOR ZENDO

October 2015 – January 2016, September 2022 - November 2022

Zen Student – Led daily meditations and managed the cleaning and upkeep of the property 

THE BLISS STORE

May 2021 – Present

Co-owner of a 120 year old country general store in Northern Michigan

WORK WITH ROB GREENFIELD

February 2021 – May 2021

Built 10 vegetable gardens for community members, planted 30 community fruit trees, sent out 10,000 free seed packets, rescued 3,500 pounds of food, completed 40+ hours of workshops and classes to foster better stewardship of the earth

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & LANDSCAPING

2014 - Present 

Performed interior and exterior painting, construction, maintenance, gardening, irrigation and restoration work on a variety of properties in California and Michigan.  

SUP CORONADO

January 2013 – March 2013, May 2016 - Present

Assist in the running of a stand-up paddle board company offering lessons/tours and rentals

CORONADO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Substitute Teacher for grades K through 12

AZ BALD EAGLE NESTWATCH PROGRAM

February 2016 - May 2016       

Monitored & protected two eagle nests to aid in the successful propagation of Bald Eagles

SEEDS & SPORES FARM

Summer 2013, 2015

Farmhand involved in all aspects of the organic farming process, as well as construction

CLEAR LAKE EDUCATION CENTER

September 2014, May 2015      

Educator teaching courses with a focus on the outdoors 

MARQUETTE COUNTY SCHOOLS

Winter 2014 – 2015 

Substitute teacher grades K - 12

MOUNT BOHEMIA

Summer 2014

Outdoor Guide: kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, hiking, fishing, meal preparation 

BIRD CREEK FARMS

November 2013 - June 2014

Managed numerous aspects of a start-up, family-owned organic farm/brewery

MARQUETTE MARINA

May 2013 – July 2013

Worked as a dockhand 

INDIGO ADVENTURES

October 2012 – January 2013

Assisted in guiding camping and spearfishing trips in Baja California

MUNDER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

September 2011 – July 2012

Strategic Projects Analyst - Collaborated with President to develop, evaluate and execute new strategic business, investment and operational improvement initiatives for asset manager with over $15 billion in AUM

AMHERST PARTNERS

June 2010 – August 2011 

Analyst, Investment Banking - Contributed in all phases of multiple sell-side and buy-side transactions

EDUCATION

FUQUA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS - DUKE UNIVERSITY

2009 – 2010

Master of Management Studies - Intensive program in Financial Accounting, Management, Economics

DUKE UNIVERSITY

2005 – 2009

Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, Bachelor of Arts in History 

PERSONAL

• Completed a self-supported bicycle trip of over 700 miles from Cannon Beach, OR to San Francisco, CA (Walked for the first 100 miles)
• Completed a solo kayaking trip of over 250 miles during the summer of 2015 through Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron
• Hitchhiked over 500 miles in Northern California and Arizona
• Walked south across Washington & Oregon (~700 miles) during the late summer of 2024 
• Meditation and mindfulness enthusiast
• Lived on a sailboat
• Michigan native
• Minimalism & simplicity