There aren’t many who can not only make a career out of what they love but also be at the absolute top of their game by doing what they love. 

Michael ‘Flamesword’ Chaves is one of those people, and he joins John Davidson in this episode of the DLC Drop Podcast to discuss his journey from wanting to go pro in Halo, to entering himself in some of the largest tournaments.

When he was about to go back to the drawing board after his third event, Michael was approached by his first sponsor, and his career took off from there.

Michael also shares what made being sponsored by companies like Red Bull and Turtle Wax so special, and how he has managed to maintain a long carer, even when it meant changing the games he played.

Michael is now taking his esports experience by leading the team Status Quo. 

To connect with Michael and Team Status Quo, visit:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamStatusQuo

Michael:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/flamesword

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flamesword/?hl=en

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:24 – Hearing the history and how John and Michael met each other.

4:04 – Michael shares his experience with the Turtle Wax campaign, and why he was so excited to work on it.

 11:12 – Michael and John talk about where other brands fail when they enter the world of esports and gaming.

15:09 – Michael talks about being sponsored by Red Bull, and why it was such a fun company to work with.

18:13 – Why has Red Bull been able to stay around for such a long time, and have so much success in the groups that they market to.

22:34 – Michael talks about his career, and how he moved into professional gaming.

27:21 – Michael discusses his motivation, and why he focused on being so great on Halo.

31:32 – Michael shares the story of how he got his first sponsorship, which launched his career.

37:32 – Michael talks about how continuing the work with his team made all the difference in his career.

41:45 – Michael talks about why the gaming world is just unlike any other.

47:19 – Michael talks about why creating fans was OpTic’s first step versus just winning.

49:45 – Michael talks about what OpTic did really well as a company, and some things he may be doing differently.

55:26 – Michael talks about why being passionate and being true to yourself is so important for success.

59:10 – Michael talks about why staying fit is so important for him, and why it’s so important to gaming.

1:06:20 – Talking about the status of the Team Status Quo.