Growing up surrounded by entrepreneurs and with a natural talent for seeing opportunities to capitalize his abilities and help people, Danny Martin couldn’t see himself anywhere else than running his own company. He studied Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship, even without what kind of company he would run. Today, he is a visionary and one of the most influential thought leaders in the esports industry. 

Danny Ray Martin is the co-founder and CEO of Esposure Inc. and Esports Subject Matter Expert at SMU. He is passionate about opening doors and facilitating the entrance of young students to the gaming and esports industry. He helped hundreds of students get scholarships and employment from acclaimed Universities and esports Organizations like Central Methodist University, Complexity Gaming, Pacers Gaming, and Mavs Gaming. 

In this episode, the conversation flows around the different challenges and the possible solutions for young people to get into the esports and gaming industry. Danny kindly shared bits of his background, how easy it was for him to decide his career path, the difficulties he learned to deal with along the way, and how COVID changed his business and the mindset he and his team were putting into it. 

Visit Esposure website to learn more about their programs: https://www.esposure.gg/

Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esposure.gg/

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/esposuregg

or subscribe to their YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJCr9VO4MCiOiDfYHEeAnOw

You can also connect with Danny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Full Episode Breakdown:

2:30 – Danny talks about Esposure, what they do, and how they serve the gaming and students community. 

4:03 – Everything started fixing consoles. Danny describes the exact moment when he decided he wanted to work helping other students. 

9:11 – Danny talks about his previous experience putting hardware together and how that skill helped him learn how to fix consoles.

13:08 – The athlete mindset. Danny talks about what made him pursue something different from what all his friends were chasing.  

18:53 – The E2E Esports Immersion Program. Danny explains how this four-week program was born.

23:06 – Danny takes us through the four weeks of the E2E program.

28:30 – John and Danny talk about the importance of turning Esposure programs into credited programs.

34:33 – Danny shares his vision on the most significant issues in the industry right now and how he thinks we should solve them.

38:53 – John and Danny reflect on the importance of representation. They also dive into tokenism, inclusion, and the expectations for minorities in the industry.

44:48 – Turning this ugly building into a building the city would be proud of. Danny shares some details about the new facility Esposure is putting together. 

49:05 – COVID taught us valuable lessons. Danny talks about utilizing virtuality to get a different perspective of the business and using money more wisely.

54:05 – Danny talks about bridging the gap between individuals with tinkered backgrounds and their desire to learn about the industry.

1:01:00 Your help is needed. Danny shares some valuable advice for those interested in getting into the industry.