There is no doubt talent plays a significant role in any success story; however, talent only is not enough. The right mindset, proper guidance, and putting in the work are also necessary. Coming from a family of athletes and entrepreneurs, Caleb Smith is the perfect example of that.

Caleb Smith is the founder and CEO of CVS Entertainment and a franchise owner of Contender eSports in Cary, NC. CVS Entertainment provides premium encounters to improve the esports community, mainly in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Caleb is also the founder and owner of the clothing brand Griarté. Son and grandson of athletes, Caleb decided to play soccer overseas. He played two years for the German team FC Herta Rheidt 1916 e.V before deciding to start his entrepreneurial journey.

In this episode, we talked about Caleb’s latest entrepreneurial endeavor, the Lan Center that provides a space to play, workshops, and coaching sessions. Caleb kindly shared his journey into entrepreneurship and gave us a bit of background from his entrepreneurial family. We also talked about the importance of coaching in the esports community.

You can connect with Caleb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-s-b8556b103/

CVS Entertainment Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cvsentertainment/

Contender eSports Cary website: https://www.contendercary.com/

The Esports Connected Podcast was created by the Esports Trade Association. To find out more, visit: https://esportsta.org/

This podcast is also part of the Esports Futuri Podcast Network. To find out more about this podcast, and all of our other shows, visit: EsportsFPN.com

Full Episode Breakdown:

2:05 – Caleb talks about the experience of opening a business during the pandemic.

6:51 – Caleb speaks about his decision to start a business in the esports industry.

9:45 – Caleb talks about the pros and cons of opening a Lan Center in North Carolina.

12:35 – Caleb shares his experience playing soccer in Germany.

16:51 – Megan and Caleb talk about talent, practice, and what is necessary to succeed in sports.

21:06 – Caleb talks about his family’s entrepreneurial gene.

23:05 – Caleb shares his thoughts on how important it is to be mentally strong to play sports and esports.

28:29 – Megan and Caleb talk about the importance of coaching.

34:16 – Caleb talks about what it means to be an entrepreneur.