Not many people can say they’ve been in the esports industry for over a decade, but Charles Conroy is one of the lucky few. Now the Vice President of Gaming at The Switch, Charles started out as a player, then a General Manager of Direct TV’s Dallas Franchise for the TV Championship Gaming Series.

His career has been through many ups and downs, but there’s been one thing that has remained the same, his unwavering passion for a sport that he grew up loving and allowed him to live a life he really never could have even imagined as a child. In this episode of Dr. Marc’s Masterclass, Charles discusses his rise, fall, and then rise again in the world of esports, and the lessons he learned along the way. He discusses how he stayed humble and kept his priorities the same through it all, and how he landed another dream job at The Switch.

To connect with Charles Conroy, you can visit his website: https://www.theswitch.tv/

To connect with Marc, visit him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/docspitsfire06 Or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/docspitsfire06/

Full Episode Breakdown: 

4:01 – Charles Conroy “The Veteran” 

6:50 – Charles talks about his childhood and being a typical suburban kid who grew up in Connecticut. 

7:37 – He reminisces how he got introduced to online gaming when he was a kid, which was not a big deal before. 

10:41 – He shares how the gaming world has been able to expand his perspective by introducing him to tons of different people and cultures.

14:21 – Charles talks about how he got his fantastic career. He didn’t even expect he would have been chosen because of his young age. However, he discusses how his experience was that got him the job.

16:21 – At the age of 20 he was already handling a team doing all the things a manager typically does.

18:43 – Gaming business is like a roller coaster ride and doesn’t last forever. Luckily he finished school, and he is very thankful for that. 

23:10 – He is not only a gaming enthusiast but a football fan as well. He likes sports so much; he calls it his passion. 

24:43 – Charles mentions that breaking the sad news to his team is the hardest thing to do as a leader. “It’s a terrible feeling, But you’re in the same boat.” 

30:07 – “Family is always important.” Even a big opportunity awaits, but when a family needs you, you go ahead and prioritize them first. 

33:18 – They finish off with Charles telling the story of how “The Switch” came to be