Today, we have a special episode broadcasting directly from the metaverse with Allison DeLeone and Reid SantaBarbara.  Allison is the President and CEO of The Production Network, and Reid is the Co-founder and CEO of Odyssey. Odyssey is a platform created to empower users and brands' presence in the metaverse, design and launch their products, and connect with their audiences.  In this immersive experience, Allison and Reid showed us around and explained how to interact and enjoy Odyssey's features. We learned how brands can interact with their users, the platform's multiple activations and streaming options, and virtually infinite customization possibilities available for virtual environments and digital identities. We tasted Odyssey's multi-sensory experiences, discussed the platform's educational opportunities, its approach to creating an inclusive digital space, and much more.  Resources: Immerse in Odyssey's website: https://www.odyssey.stream/ Or connect with Allison and Reid on LinkedIn: Allison DeLeone: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-deleone-91938a11/ Reid SantaBarbara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reid-santabarbara-9a70364b/ Taxed on first 80% of the revenue

Bennet Newsome joins us today to talk about esports and gaming formal education, streaming, and how to use business education to make a career out of a passion.  Bennet is the Director of Esports Growth & Development at Full Sail University, a Twitch partner passionate about community building and gaming, co-owner of whereisxur.com, and host of XurWatch on Twitch. Bennet is also a musician, a lifelong gamer, and a tireless advocate for promoting and facilitating opportunities in esports and gaming for high school and college students.  In this episode, we delve into Bennett's transition from music to esports and gaming, his journey as a facilitator and growth promoter in the gaming and esports space, and his evolution as a streamer and host. Bennett shares details of Full Sail's programs in gaming and esports and the university's approach to the industry's business side. We also talk about Bennett's experience as a musician and the lessons he learned on the road that helped him in his role at Full Sail, his relationship with gaming and streaming, and much more.  Resources: Full Sail University website: https://www.fullsail.edu/. Full Sail Armada website: https://armada.fullsail.edu/fortress Where is Xur website: https://whereisxur.com/ XurWatch Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/xurwatch Connect with Bennet on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennett-newsome-77467686/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@damnitbennett Twitter: https://twitter.com/damnitbennett?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Taxed on first 80% of the revenue

Son of first-generation immigrants from Nigeria, Jesse Iwuji relied on his grinding and ability to find a solution for every problem to build a prominent future for himself. From competing in Division 1 A College Football to serving in the US Navy, becoming a NASCAR Professional Race Driver, and a multripreneur. Jesse Iwuji is a NASCAR driver and Team Owner, US Naval Officer, Keynote Speaker, Actor, TV Personality, CEO, Esports Company Owner, and Co-founder of the eRacing Association. In this episode, Jesse takes us on a fun and exciting journey throughout his childhood and upbringing, how his parents influenced him always to strive to reach his maximum potential, and his relentless attitude of constantly creating opportunities for himself.  He described how becoming a US Navy official helped him fulfill his dreams of becoming a NASCAR pilot and how his ambition and vision led him to start and own a Team and build an esports association. He also talked about his mission to help others reach their dreams, how he got into sim racing, and much more.  Resources: Visit Jesse's website: https://www.jesseiwuji.com/. Visit the eRacing Association website: https://www.eragaming.gg/. Or connect with Jesse on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseiwuji/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesse_iwuji/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jesse_Iwuji Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jesseiwujiracing Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/jesse_iwuji YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Yt0M8_w1aUNH-I_OMsy7A Taxed on first 80% of the revenue

Mike Zweigbaum joins us today to share his experience bringing a successful business model into esports, the secrets of team building, and the perfect blend of passion and business experience that led him to create a successful esports org. Mike is the CEO and Founder of Wisdom, a gaming company that makes it all, from esports production and content creation to tournament organization and strategic brand activation. They also have their own IPs and Rocke League, Halo, and Apex Legends esports teams. In this episode, we talk about Mike's journey into esports and his unique path from owning a successful scrap metal company to jumping into the esports and gaming space. He shared the secrets of building successful teams and the importance of creating a sense of belonging. Mike described his approach to business in general and details what he considers helped him from his previous experiences helped him thrive in the esports space. He also shared his thoughts on what he feels the industry lacks, his perspective on Web3, the metaverse, mobile gaming, and much more. Resources: Visit Wisdom Gaming website: https://www.wisdom.gg/ or connect with them on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSDMGG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wsdmgg/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wsdmgg Follow Mike on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-zweigbaum-19a400169/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikezweigbaum?lang=es Taxed on first 80% of the revenue

Although many specialists believe VR is the future of gaming and esports, the growth we see in this gaming modality looks relatively slow. So, what is missing? What is keeping VR from going mainstream? Today's guest, Jonathan Ovadia, can certainly help us clear this doubt. Jonathan is the CEO and Founder of Aexlab Inc, the studio responsible for creating VAIL VR, the world's number one VR esports game. He is also a lifelong gamer, an innovative entrepreneur, and a VR enthusiast.  In this episode, we immerse ourselves into the VR world; Jonathan shows us the way through VR development and programming, from the hardships of hiring developers who can handle VR to solving VR's programming complicated issues. We explore the differences between programming traditional and VR games and the passion needed to work in VR. Jonathan also talked about Aexlab's creation, VAIL VR, how the project evolved through the years, and the crucial role its community played in its development and success.  Resources: Visit Aexlab's website: https://aexlab.com/ Join VAIL VR's Discord: https://discord.com/invite/vailvr Or connect with Jonathan on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanovadia/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.ovadia/?hl=es Taxed on first 80% of the revenue

In today's episode, Gabriel Causse joins us to share his unique perspective on partnerships in esports, the differences between creating partnerships in traditional sports and esports, and how traditional sports teams and franchises can engage with gamers. Gabriel Causse is the Manager of Business Operations at Magic Gaming and the first esports Partnership Manager in the history of the NBA with the Orlando Magic. Gabriel came from France and got a scholarship to play soccer at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, where he graduated in Sports Management.  Throughout our conversation, we navigate Gabriel's journey and his experiences coming from France to start a career in sports in America. He shares his thoughts on partnerships and the similarities and differences between the traditional sports and esports space when convincing brands to support esports teams.  We also discuss how the esports space has changed and evolved, where it is common to find parents now more engaged with gaming and understanding their kids are not "wasting their time" in front of a screen playing video games. Gabriel also shared what he believes is the best strategy for traditional sports teams to engage with gamers, the evolution of conversations about health and wellness in the gaming industry, and more.  Resources: Visit the Magic Gaming website: https://magicgaming.nba.com/ or connect with them on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/MagicGaming Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magicgaming/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MagicGaming/ Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/orlandomagicgaming YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4vVVAHcMRD8bCIrwxGWUPg You can also connect with Gabriel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabcausse/details/education/. Taxed on first 80% of the revenue

Henry Burreson joins us today to talk about influencer marketing, podcasting, how to grow an audience organically, and the courage and resources needed to turn a passion into a profitable business.  Henry is the Co-host of "Third Party: An Apex Legends Podcast" and Co-founder of Third Party Productions. He is an influencer marketing and multimedia producer, content creator, Patreon ambassador, and part of the EA Creator Network.  Henry shared valuable insights on content creation, audience growth, and how to generate ROI from influencer marketing throughout our conversation. We delve into the pros and cons of having a podcast dedicated entirely to one game; Henry described how and why he decided to start the show and the keys to making it grow and evolve with time.  Henry also talks about his goals when he started the podcast, the lessons learned along the way, how connecting with Patreon changed everything, and much more.  Resources: Listen to the Third Party podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/third-party-an-apex-legends-podcast/id1500861437. Third Party Pod Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thirdpartypod Connect with Henry on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henryburreson/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HbBurreson?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Taxed on first 80% of the revenue

The profound connection between music and video games is undeniable. Whether it is because certain soundtracks are designed to change and adjust to the game's progression or because certain songs create core memories in gamers' minds, at this point, it is possible to state that one couldn't exist without the other. In this episode, Alex Tarrand joins us to talk a bit more about the symbiotic relationship between music and gaming, which enhances not only the user experience playing the game but also game developers and music artists. Alex is the COO and Co-Founder at Styngr, a lifelong gamer, a serial entrepreneur, and a specialist in music tech, P&L ownership, forecasting & modeling, VOD/Live mobile streaming production, product management, sponsorships, social media, and behavioral economics, among many other things. Throughout our conversation, we delve into Alex's journey in the gaming industry and his intimate relationship with music, and his experiences working with different labels and publishers. Alex also shares his thoughts on the relationship between the metaverse and other emerging technologies and music, some missteps in the music industry most game developers make, and more. Resources: Visit Styngr's website: https://www.styngr.com/ Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alextarrand/ Taxed on first 80% of the revenue

In today's episode, Rob Johnson visits us to help us answer perhaps one of the most asked questions in the esports space, how to effectively connect brands with esports fans?  Rob is the CEO of Playfly Esports, co-author of "Millennial Reboot," and a passionate marketer who has been solving traditional sports, entertainment, and esports marketing problems for almost the last two decades.  We delve into Rob's journey in traditional sports, from unpaid internships to his first position in Marketing with the Philadelphia Flyers, and his transition from traditional sports to gaming and esports. He described how Playfly helps companies understand the value of advertising in esports and how they build that connection in an industry that is so dependent on brands' dollars.  Rob also talked about how building relationships and consistency helped him get into traditional sports and entertainment first and esports and gaming later, the importance of establishing trust and managing expectations with brands, and more.  Resources: Visit the Playfly Esports website: https://playfly.com/esports/. or Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsonr/details/experience/ Book: Kate Athmer, Rob Johnson: Millennial Reboot: Our Generation's Playbook for Professional Growth: https://www.amazon.com/Millennial-Reboot-Generations-Playbook-Professional-ebook/dp/B01MXPMV9J/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3OG2G2RIAZL21&keywords=millennial+reboot&qid=1658662020&sprefix=milennial+reboo%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-5 Taxed on first 80% of the revenue

Chris Ray joins us today to talk about his videographer career, his transition from skate filmer to filmmaker, and his experiences working for Transworld, DC Shoes, and now starting his own company, Motion Clubhouse. Chris Ray is a filmmaker and Co-founder of Motion Clubhouse, a company founded by award-winning creators specializing in all forms of video production. In this episode, we delve into Chris' first steps as a skateboarder and skate filmer, his passion for video production, and his relentless approach to pro skateboarders that opened so many doors for him in the skateboarding world. Chris also shared his first impressions dealing with the pros he admired, how he got mentored into crafting his filmmaking skills, and the contrasting reality between producing films for skateboarding and any other industry. In addition, Chris remembers the most memorable trips he experienced traveling the world with skateboarding, how DC helped him transition from skate filmer to filmmaker, and more. Resources: Visit Motion Clubhouse's website: https://www.motionclubhouse.com/. Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motionclubhouse/. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MOTIONCLUBHOUSE. Or connect with Chris on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisrayfilms/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisrayfilms/?hl=es Taxed on first 80% of the revenue