Work in progress... If you're subscribed to this podcast, you're getting an inside look into our next big project. All I will say is... hope you're looking forward to some great new conversations. -Kai

Michael "Mikeskee" Huang is the Organizer of Reign Supreme and Massive Monkees Day, and Founder of Milli, his creative ad agency based in Seattle, Washington.    Questions we asked Mike:   - [ ] Why marketing?  - [ ] Can you share with us the journey of building your marketing agency?  - [ ] How did you build your marketing agency?  - [ ] Taiwan! Travel?   - [ ] A creative agency has a LOT of services, and you are a core team of 4. How do you manage it all?  - [ ] What are the biggest mistakes breakers and artists make when it comes to business?  - [ ] What are some ways breaking has supplemented your journey   - [ ] What are some ways Breaking may have held you back? Follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikesteezie/ Follow Milli Agency: https://www.instagram.com/milliagency/

Jeff Wong, better known in the dance industry as Ark, has spent the better part of a decade in the California Bay Area challenging students to discover and fine-tune their dedication, self-confidence, and ability to creatively interpret challenges through the practice of dance. His aim is to teach this dance with an emphasis on fundamental technique, cultural values, and historical significance while providing an accessible outlet for the youth to connect to the thriving hip hop community that exists on a larger scale. He continues to maintain an active presence in the global Breaking (breakdance) scene as an international competitor, event director, and cultural ambassador. While completing his Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology & Rehabilitation Sciences, Ark amassed an excess of 200 different performances with his local crew performing in settings from theatre stages to stadiums. Ark founded and manages the Bay Area's premiere youth breaking crew, Double Down, while also producing the youth and community dance-event series, RoCo Rock & The Melting Pot. Follow Ark on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ark8o8/ Join The Crossroadz Discord Server!: 

Kai & Nico sit down with Harrien 哈利 "Harricane" from Chiayi City (嘉義市) Taiwan, Leader of Dream Runnerz Crew and member of OUR City B-boys.  In this episode, we discuss: 1. Harricane's 35-round battle against breaking legend and former Crossroadz guest Hong 10 (@bboyhongten).  2. How he went from broke b-boy to owning a studio, supporting his entire crew with a full-time salary 3. Harrien's long-time battle with doubters, and how he spins it to help fuel his goals.  4. The commonalities between breaking and business 5. What the Taiwanese breaking scene does differently from the rest of the world, and exciting new developments to come. Follow Harrien 哈利 "Harricane" on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamrunnerz_harricane/?hl=en Follow The Crossroadz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecrossroadz_/?hl=en

Luis Prado a.k.a B-boy Lprad is the Founder of Break New Ground, a brand created to showcase the uprising talent of breakers, dancers, and artists emerging in California and beyond through jams, apparel, and media. In this episode, we talk with Luis about: 1. How he went from just another dancer to creating an entity that supports his entire community  2. What the future of breaking looks like with the 2024 Olympics approaching  3. How WWE and other shows inspired his approach to event building 4. and What to expect from his newest event collaborating with large breaking brands like Freestyle Session, UDEF Pro Breaking Tour, Stance, and more.  Follow Break New Ground: https://www.instagram.com/breakng/?hl=en Follow Luis on Instagram:  The Up & Comer 7-to-Smoke premieres on https://www.youtube.com/user/stanceelements December 12th 2020!

As the breaking (a.k.a "break dancing") community prepares for its debut on the 2024 Olympics platform, what should bboys and bgirls do in preparation to make the most of this phenomenon? In this episode, Kai (@kaivertigoh) talks with a business student from the University of Texas, Austin, Conway Xu (@c0nwayxu) about the relationship between breaking (more commonly known as "break dancing" ) and business.   Become a Crossroadz supporter + more episodes: https://anchor.fm/crossroadz Tony Hawk Interview mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At4kjSXFr-U

Kim Hong Yul a.k.a Hong 10 (@bboyhongten) Is a decorated professional b-boy from Seoul, South Korea, and is considered a “living legend” in the world of breaking (a.k.a breakdancing). Competing internationally for over the last 20+ years (basically as long as I’ve been alive), Hong has not only maintained his position as a top competitive breaker, but he continues to outlast and outperform both his rivals and himself time and time, and time again. Last month, Hong was invited to compete in a 35-round call-out battle against Taiwanese b-boy Harricane (which is crazy, Imagine having to transition from your feet, to your hands, to your head, to your back for 30 seconds, 35 times over the course of 30 minutes) where he won unanimously in a sweep against his opponent. Hong is a member of Drifterz crew, 7 Commandoz, as well as the prestigious Red Bull BC One All Stars, a handpicked collective of the top competitive breakers from around the world. He is also a 2x Red Bull BC One World Champion, winning once in 2006 and again in the special 10-Year Anniversary in 2013. In this episode with Hong 10, we talk about: Burnout, and the things he does to overcome it The driving forces he adopted to achieve success How he would like to see Breaking evolve in the future How to achieve longevity with age What he would say to his 17 year-old self, and what he would want his 55 year-old self to say to him. Movie mentioned by Hong and Leroy in the conversation: Jjak Pae https://www.imdb.com/title/tt00821470/ Special Thanks to our Translator, @leroy_brown24 for being our bridge of communication.  Follow Hong on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bboyhongten/?hl=en SkillzXXX Merchandise from Hong 10 and Differ: https://skillzxxx.com/

Where to even begin with Jonathan Shih? For those who are familiar with The Kinjaz, one of the most successful dance entities in the world starring internationally on festival stages, TV shows, and viral YouTube content, Jon is the true movement in the shadows. From the costumes, to the visual effects, to even the Dojo/studio spaces, Jon is the executive brain behind all of Kinjaz' visual language. On top of all of this, Jon is an incredibly humble individual, so I was happy to get the opportunity to get him to share a little more about his philosophies, and dive into how his boundlessly creative mind works. Follow Jon Shih on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jyshih21/?hl=en Check out & buy Kinjaz designs by Jon: https://store.kinjaz.com/

JR Jarris is a rising producer, DJ, and event curator based in San Diego, CA. Although his roots trace back to mixing and mastering his own tracks as a rapper in high school, JR discovered his true passion for music production after purchasing an Akai MPD32 during his junior year. His steady flow of tracks on SoundCloud also earned him recognition from Joe Kay, co-founder of music empire and one of JR’s earliest inspirations, Soulection. Throughout his career, JR has collaborated with the likes of Masego, SOSUPERSAM, and Mike Gao, as well as with AbJo and PRVDNT for a track that appeared on Soulection’s Unite compilation in 2017. His skills as an artist have scored him milestone performances at Low End Theory and CRSSD Fest, throughout the United States, and even in Tokyo. In addition to refining his artistic talents, JR also stands as the founder and curator of a San Diego event series called Hide and Go Freak which has featured the likes of Miles Medina, Esta, and Overdoz. Follow JR Jarris on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4xJtzd4hsl3NeFtLQXscSI Follow The Crossroadz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecrossroadz_/

Nico and Kai sit down and talk with product designer and co-founder of @mentorenroute, Carlo Ybanez (@40zcoffee) a San Diego-based brand dedicated to crafting otherworldly items rooted in a fantastic graphic universe. In this episode, we talk how Carlo got featured by Korean-American rapper Dumbfoundead about the importance of improv, and the lessons he wish he knew when first starting his business. Buy MENTOR en ROUTE products: https://www.mentorenroute.com/ Follow @mentorenroute on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentorenroute/ Follow Carlo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/40ozcoffee/