October 9, 2025 • 46 mins
What if youth esports had the same structure, safety, and upward path as Little League or AAU? We sit down with Valhallan Esports’ Morris Jackson to unpack how he went from owning a single arena to acquiring the entire brand and relocating HQ to Las Vegas—transforming a scattered scene into a true pipeline for kids, parents, schools, and colleges. From 23 locations across 12 states to an online platform that removes geography as a barrier, Morris lays out a plan to make Valhallan a destination where young gamers train, compete, and grow with purpose.
We get practical about what parents really want to know: how to keep kids safe, how to make gaming productive, and how to navigate a space that now includes scholarships and academic tracks. Morris connects specific games to real skills—Rainbow Six Siege to cybersecurity, Minecraft to engineering and systems thinking—and explains how monitored communities, age tiers, and coaching turn screen time into skill time. We also explore how colleges like Boise State and Syracuse are investing, why UNLV’s Cyber Week matters, and how scholarships are expanding fast.
Las Vegas emerges as the perfect hub: HyperX Arena, global access, and a city that embraces innovation. Morris shares why Valhallan is moving to a corporate‑led model for consistency and quality, how online demand will guide future arena placements, and why this youth‑first focus can capture meaningful share in a $500B ecosystem. He closes with candid, hard‑won advice for entrepreneurs about stretching beyond comfort zones and refusing to let fear set the limits. If you care about kids, education, esports, or building a brand with real community impact, this conversation will stick.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
Welcome to Vegas Circle Podcast with your hosts,
Pocky and Chris.
We are people who are passionateabout business, success, and
culture.
And this is our platform toshowcase people in our city who
are making it happen.
And on today's guests is justthat, man.
We're welcoming back to thecircle a second time.
This is who I want to grow up tobe, man.
When I become an older man, man,this is what I want to grow up
to be, man.
(00:22):
No, no, no, no.
We've we peers, man.
But we're gonna get into it,man.
So he's gone from owning one uhBahaland franchise to now owning
20 franchises.
We're gonna get into his story.
So holding strong got multiplelocations.
He's bringing gamings toschools, what we were talking
about, moving his headquartersto Vegas and planning a national
tour building hotels nationwide.
So welcome back to the circle,businessman and owner of
(00:42):
Vihaland Esports, Mr.
Morris Jackson.
Thank you.
Good to see you guys, man.
Good to see you guys.
Thank you.
So let's jump in, man.
So we had you about two yearsago.
They've got your story, butVahaland at the time, I think
you guys had you and yourbusiness partner at the time, I
think you guys had onefranchise.
You might have been buying yoursecond one.
SPEAKER_00 (01:00):
Yeah, no, spot on.
No, so Brandon and I, BrandonParker, who now plays for the
Atlanta Falcons.
Back then he played for theRaiders.
Yep.
Him and I identified this littlebusiness called Vahalin Esports
Training.
And as you know, it's it's aplatform where we help young
gamers between the age five and17 find their pathway through
esports.
Just like how if you wanted tolearn how to play baseball, you
(01:22):
go to Little League.
If you want basketball, you goto AAU.
Well, there was nothing therefor young gamers who are at home
loving the game, Valorant,League of Legends, Fortnite,
Rocket League, but they wantedto compete competitively.
There was no space out there tohelp help them kind of bridge to
that professional pathway.
(01:42):
So we found this great businesscalled Valhalla Sports Training.
Fell in love with the idea ofwhat we can do for young gamers,
specifically here in the city ofLas Vegas.
Opened our first location.
Matter of fact, again, like youmentioned, at that time, we were
opening our opening our secondone in Cornelius, North
Carolina.
That's where Brandon is from.
Him and his wife, Dominique, arefrom North Carolina.
(02:02):
So we were we were just aboutclosing on that transaction.
Over the last year and a half, alot has changed.
Not only have we opened ourthird location in Folsom,
California, which is nearSacramento.
But again, everyone knows Folsomfrom uh Johnny, Johnny Cash.
Oh, yeah, I know that name, butI didn't know what it was from.
Okay.
Okay.
So uh we we purchased thatlocation, got that one up and
(02:25):
running.
And then during that year, wewere really exploring the
possible possibilities of justowning the whole company.
Powerful.
Yeah, the owner at the time, youknow, he, you know, there wasn't
and he he believed in esports,but there wasn't an affinity for
esports.
Right.
We had an affinity for it.
He's he saw not only what wewere building, how we were
(02:45):
building it, what we were doingin the communities, how we were
promoting it in the communities.
And so over the last year, we'vebeen negotiating on just
acquiring the entire company,moving from franchisee to
franchiseor.
And luckily for me, during thatyear, I built some amazing
relationships with a few newpartners that are on the team
now.
One is my partner, Brian Hanula.
(03:06):
He's a sports agent in the NFL.
He saw what we were doing withthese sports.
He was he followed us early onwith Fahallen and said, Hey, if
I if you ever have a chance tolet me in on this, let me in.
That's why when we had thechance to negotiate this deal, I
said, Hey, here's your window.
He jumped right in on it, did amasterful job help helping us
(03:27):
negotiate this deal.
But then I also had theopportunity to bring on two
additional, actually, threeadditional partners.
One's a high-tech seniorengineer who can cut who's
coming in and helping us buildout our tech stack to do some
amazing things in the future.
Another partner is an amazingchief strategy officer out of
Denver, Colorado, orBroomsville, Colorado, who's
(03:49):
helping us as well.
And then a third owner, or thelast owner, he runs our location
out in Camp Hill, one of ourmost successful Valhallon
franchise owners.
I found it was important for usto bring someone who understood
the culture, understood what itwhat it takes to build a
successful franchise, to teachall the other franchise owners
how to follow that path.
(04:09):
His name is Andrew.
And so between now, myself,Brian, Mike, Wayne, Andrew, the
five of us, we're we're we'renow on the journey to growing
this to be not just adestination for all.
Well, not only growing this tobe a platform for all gamers,
we're growing this to become adestination for all gamers.
(04:31):
So when they're looking to findthat competitive landscape, we
want them to look, think, andconnect with Valhalla for that.
So yeah, that's where we're atnow.
So now 23 locations across theUS and 12 states.
So a lot.
I mean, it's been nine weekssince we've acquired it.
And so this is fresh.
This is fresh.
Yeah.
I didn't realize it was nineweeks.
Yeah, it's only been nine weeks.
(04:52):
And so still all fairly new, butvery exciting.
A lot of work ahead of us.
But again, we we we're in we'rein this industry because we
believe in where it's going andwhat it can do for the young
gamer and their journey tobecome a professional.
SPEAKER_03 (05:05):
Yeah, you know, we kind of the one thing is to me,
obviously, I'm a huge esportsfan in general.
So I'm definitely verypassionate about what you bring
to the table.
Would love my kids to be a partof it.
I think it's a great, you know,we talked about our last
podcast, you know, thedevelopmental and a lot of the
benefits you get from apersonality standpoint.
But from the business aspect ofit, when you go from being kind
of a franchisee, right?
You're developing your own firstlocation, your second location,
(05:26):
your third.
Is it it seems like to me a verydifferent dynamic to now you're
in charge of other franchisees,right?
Now you're owning the brand,you're in charge of marketing,
you're in charge of all thesedifferent aspects that maybe
you've not done there.
Did you have any experience likein that, or is it kind of
something you're learning as yougo now?
Because it seems like be a verydifferent model.
SPEAKER_00 (05:42):
Yeah, no, great question.
I mean, there's certain thingsthat I've had experience in.
I mean, thankfully, because ofmy history in the financial
services industry and me beingable to lead several banks
through acquisitions andtransitions and growth models,
I've been able to take a lot ofthat experience and apply it
here.
Again, not everything's asapples for apples, right?
But the one thing that I'velearned that you requires is
(06:04):
it's creativity, hard work,knowing how to use your
resources, identifying yournetworks, the people in your
network to help you grow andscale.
But yeah, to your point, likefor you know, going from a place
where we looked at the franchiseor when I was a franchisee as
the platform to provide us withmarketing strategies, provide us
with uh coaching strategies, ourdeliverables in the market.
(06:28):
And now we're in the seat wherewe're creating all of that,
which honestly is more exciting.
So now we're we're the we'rewe're we're the we're the artist
painting this masterpiece now.
So this is this is allowing usto obviously capitalize on the
things that we saw workedextremely well being in the
franchisee position, but thenalso identifying the things that
(06:50):
we've recognized that is wasstill needed to help us
accelerate scale in this newspace.
That was one of the reasons whywe took this over, is because we
saw there was so many thingsleft to be done, so many things
that needed to be built, so manythings that not just kids, young
gamers are you look are thatthat young gamers are looking
(07:10):
for, but we were looking, butthere's things that parents are
looking for that we needed toreally start it to answer for.
So that's where, again, we sawthis amazing opportunity to take
this over and use not just youknow my background and
expertise, but Brian'sbackground, Wayne's background,
Mike's tech background, andAndrew's franchise ownership
(07:31):
background and say, okay, how dowe blend all of these together
to provide not just otherfranchisees, but also the
members, the kids, the parents,the right type of product to
really help them see themagnificent impact of esports?
Because there's so much outthere that this industry is
doing for our kids.
SPEAKER_03 (07:48):
And there's a bunch of how do you one make those
franchises that were, you know,there under prior ownership
group now, because you know, youbuy into a franchise, you're
buying into the people, thecorporation, the company, a lot
of that aspect of it.
But you know, bringing in a newcompany, does it, you know, is
there some initial turbulencethat people start thinking,
like, what's going on here?
Like, how do how do you appeasethem?
Because obviously you've done agreat job already in nine weeks,
(08:10):
putting together an amazingteam, but you just said I'm sure
the future is bright, but youknow, I'm sure there are going
to be some like a lot ofuncertainty because they're in
contracts, right?
They're in uh stipulations thatare background to that.
Like, how do you navigate thosewaters a little bit?
SPEAKER_00 (08:24):
Yeah, you know, anytime there's change, right?
There's always going to be, youknow, different cycles people go
through, right?
Um, I think the great thing isthat because of, I think there's
two things, right?
One, us being franchise ownersourselves and being frank being
in the franchisee position.
I think that's helpful.
A little bit was behind thecurtain.
Yeah, exactly.
And I think they appreciatedthat a little bit versus it
(08:45):
being some independent outsidegroup that they're not familiar
with.
And so now all of a sudden itlends the question do they
really understand what's goingon, what we need, how to grow
these things?
Because we owned our ownlocations ourselves and we've
been through that journey.
It gives the franchisees theopportunity to see that there
(09:05):
are people who are leading thisthat are in the same position
they are.
You've been boots on the ground.
Yeah, we've been boots.
Yeah, exactly.
Boots on the ground.
And it's not like we've beenboots on the ground for a few
months.
Like these, it's been a year anda half.
We've been on the ground.
SPEAKER_01 (09:16):
I remember going to your grand opening.
It feels like that wasyesterday.
Exactly, right?
SPEAKER_00 (09:19):
And so them being able to see that is helpful.
Secondly, me us building a teamthat not only exists of one
franchise, existing franchiseeowner, but exists of three,
again, instills more confidence.
Sure.
And then one of the owners beingone of the most highly
successful owners within ourecosystem also helps the
narrative too.
(09:39):
Yeah, that makes sense.
Because they were alreadycalling him as a resource.
Um, I remember when I opened mylocation, he was the first
person I called, right?
Every his everyone knew when youneeded something, call Andrew.
Yeah, he was everyone'sgodfather, right?
Like call him, yeah, get whatyou need.
And he was, and he's he wasalways that beacon of hope for
everyone.
And now he's in a position ofownership, again, just to steal
(10:01):
confidence.
Now, don't get me wrong, thereare still things that they're,
you know, a lot of our franchiseowners are still waiting to see.
And we got to continue toprovide.
But we've done some thingsrecently and have a lot of
things on our roadmap to reallyprovide every single owner with
what they need to ultimately besuccessful in their individual
market.
So really out national, outlocal the nationals and out
(10:24):
national the locals is ourstrategy.
Gotcha.
Right?
Being able to position everysingle local location in a way
where everyone will know whothey are while at the same time
not being so big where it'sisolating the local markets.
We want to make certain everyonefeels not only invited when they
come into a location, butunderstands the enormity of all
this as well.
And so us being able to bringbring those type of strategies
(10:47):
and ideas, and we still want tohear from our franchisees to
embody what they want to see intheir markets.
And so they're if everyone'svoice is heard, which is good.
But again, it's still thehoneymoon period, right?
There's a lot of changes.
But I think as long as we keepour franchises first, actually,
(11:08):
we keep our members first andwhen and keeping our franchise
in mind with everything that wedo, I think we're going to
position every franchisee forsuccess.
SPEAKER_01 (11:16):
So I love the fact that Vegas is but we got so many
varieties, not just a serviceand hospitality industry.
So your plan is to move theheadquarters from Texas to Las
Vegas.
Yeah, cool.
SPEAKER_00 (11:25):
Yeah.
So I mean, obviously, Vegasbrings a lot of advantages.
I mean, so does Texas as well.
So no knock on Texas.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (11:31):
Where are they based at, right in Texas now?
SPEAKER_00 (11:32):
Um, they were based in Pearlin, Texas.
Okay, I don't even know whatthat is.
Yeah, neither do I.
Okay.
That's how you a lot.
That's how you a lot.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, but it, you know, it itgive it gave us the opportunity
to one, Vegas is alreadybecoming a a, I would say, a
prominent they they their thetheir approach to embracing
esports is already here.
Yeah, right.
(11:53):
We have HyperX Arena, which islike the one at Luxor.
Which is like the allegiancestadium to the Raiders.
It's is that to an esportsgamer, right?
We have Global Gaming Leaguewho's coming into town.
Yes, yep, right.
And then we had the city thatnamed, I think it's October 1st,
is East is an official esportsholiday.
Oh, that's pretty cool.
I didn't know that's a lot ofthings.
(12:14):
Jeez, Hyro, Inferno.
He was on the pod.
Yeah.
Hyro was on the pod.
Yeah.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (12:20):
Vegas Inferno, yeah.
Vegas Inferno.
Shout out to him.
SPEAKER_00 (12:22):
Yep.
And then on top of that, to yourpoint right there, right?
We already have a professionalesports team in Vegas.
Really good team, too, by theway.
Yeah.
So I mean, there were all thesethings, all these narratives
that we had in Vegas that wereally wanted to stand up.
Plus, this is an easierdestination for all of our
owners to get to because we haveyou know an owner in California,
an owner in Colorado.
So being able to make Vegas tohome destination.
(12:45):
And then again, when you thinkof us, you know, doing
tournaments and challenges.
I mean, everyone looks for anexcuse to come to Vegas all the
time.
Now, if I told you we werehosting a tournament in Pearlin,
Texas, it's kind of like it'snot exciting.
Not really, yeah.
It doesn't have that samethunder, right?
Vegas has that thunder that thatwe were looking for to really
drive that narrative.
But again, making Vegas, youknow, showing how Vegas is
(13:07):
business friendly.
Vegas is is is a place where allbusinesses should look at, hang
in their headquarters, gives usa great opportunity to do that.
And plus Vegas is home for us.
Yeah.
For a lot of us who who eitherhave it's from here or have been
from here, we just understandthe Vegas market.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (13:22):
Talk a little bit about like this is a$500 billion
with a B industry.
I didn't realize it was thatbig.
I mean, I know Chris knowsbecause he knows gaming and I.
Yeah, I make like 40 bucks.
You say you make 40 bucks apiece.
But the piece for you guys isreally to scale, you know,
Bahaland's space in this, man.
What is what's the vision behindthat as far as where you guys
will be in this in this piece ofthe pie of the 500 billion?
SPEAKER_00 (13:44):
Yeah, we just want like literally like a half a
percent of that.
SPEAKER_01 (13:47):
That would work.
SPEAKER_00 (13:48):
No, I mean, our space is, I mean, again, the
whole entire ecosystem has aglobal market cap of 500
billion.
Okay.
We really want to carve out thatyouth segment where everyone
else is focusing on theprofessional gamer, the prof
they're focusing on thesponsorship piece, the pro team
piece, you know, even thecollegiate side.
We want to focus on all thosethat are trying to get there.
(14:10):
So really talk, you know,really.
And you think about how in everysport that you know we dominate
in domestically, whether it'sbaseball, football, basketball,
we all know it starts from theyouth, right?
How you know, don't get mewrong, you have your anomalies
out there, you have yourindividuals that you know just
(14:31):
picked up the game, their senioryear of high school.
Yeah, and it just it justtrained.
But most players, if you know,who who who dominate the game
always goes back and they'llthey'll tell you how hard they
worked since they were a kid,and how while they were kids and
and they're growing up duringtheir youth years, how they got
to that level of a professional,right?
(14:51):
Sometimes they learn how to be aprofessional at the ripe age of
13 before they, you know, that'swhen they learn how to be a
professional.
So understanding what goes intobuilding that foundation is
critical.
And right now, I mean, and youthink about it, even those kids
who were the anomaly who made itat that age, they typically had
a support system behind them,whether it's mom, dad, or family
(15:12):
members.
But again, in this in this worldof esports, you don't really
have that foundation.
Matter of fact, you're fightingmore with your parents to play
versus them leaning into it.
You don't I agree with that'swhat I'm having, it happens at
my house.
SPEAKER_01 (15:24):
Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00 (15:26):
And so, you know, not having that community to
lean into, not having availableresources at your exposure, and
not having places for younggamers to go, clearly there
needed to be a space, and we'relooking to serve that space.
This space can address morethan, you know, I the
addressable market here is wellabove a billion.
However, again, we know we, youknow, we're not gonna be the
(15:48):
right fit for everyone, right?
So, but at the same time, withthis being a destination for
gamers, we will be seen as aplace where profession well,
young kids who want to be aprofessional, whether it's in
the field of esports or if itcomes from a career that's
influenced by esports, we wantto become that destination for
them.
But not just for the kids, forthe parents too, right?
(16:09):
Parents are looking for, youknow, they have questions.
They want to understand, youknow, how to help their kids
grow in this industry, whatcareers come with it, which
colleges are offering full risescholarships, which colleges now
are giving an esports degree.
There's all these questions thatare in the parent's mind, but
where do they go get theanswers?
I mean, Google's always a goodway to go.
I mean, chat become is becominga good place to go, right?
(16:31):
But really, it's that relation,the people you trust that you
get the best advice from.
We want to become that trustedadvisor, not only for the youth,
but also for the parents aswell.
SPEAKER_03 (16:40):
And you're gonna bring a good point, though,
because I know last time wetalked, there are a lot of
esports in college was kind ofrelatively getting newer and
newer.
It's like, but now it has becomemore mainstream.
Are you starting to see likenationally more of colleges are
offering those full rightscholarships for esports?
Yeah, it's like 100% now, orwhat's kind of yeah, what's the
integration next?
I know it's one thing definitelyfor me.
I wish I could go back, butthat's not something I have my
(17:01):
favorite now.
SPEAKER_00 (17:01):
But yeah, definitely not 100%, not not 100% of the
colleges as of yet, but more andmore colleges are converting
their esports clubs into in theand and now converting them into
sanctioned teams by theuniversity.
So you are seeing that happenmore and more.
Matter of fact, Boise State justmade a sizable investment into
their esports team.
Syracuse University just builtout their huge esports arena.
(17:24):
That's awesome.
So you're starting to see thesemajor universities come to the
table because they're beginningto recognize that not only are
these premier athletes, butthese are also your premier, I
would say, future career makers,right?
And industry leaders andentrepreneurs, right?
And so they're recognizing thatthese players are more than just
(17:45):
athletes.
They are professionals in thefield of esports and
professionals tied to careersthat are influenced by esports.
But to your point, more and moreuniversities are starting to add
on or add a program or addscholarships to their
universities.
I think when I first started,there were probably over a
little hundred, over, probably alittle over 150 schools that had
(18:07):
a full ride scholarship toesports.
Now, when I go back and look atit, there's well over 350
colleges that are offering fullride scholarships.
So UNLV do that?
SPEAKER_03 (18:16):
Huh?
Does UNLV do that?
Not yet.
UNLV didn't get on that, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (18:19):
We're working on it though.
I mean, UNLV is becoming a fastadopter of it, though.
Matter of fact, on October 4th,we're actually hosting a
tournament at UNLV.
SPEAKER_01 (18:29):
That's a national tournament you were talking
about.
SPEAKER_00 (18:30):
Yeah, well, that's no, that's that's a little
different.
Oh, that's next year,absolutely.
That's next year.
Yeah, you're good.
No, but October 4th, we'reactually hosting a tournament at
UNLV.
So UNLV is doing something onOctober 1st through the 4th
called Cyber Week.
SPEAKER_03 (18:43):
Oh, that's great.
SPEAKER_00 (18:44):
Um, and so they're having a whole festival on
cybersecurity to really start tointroduce uh and share with the
community about the amazinguniversity they built there
around to teach kids who arelooking to come into school
around cybersecurity.
SPEAKER_01 (18:58):
Because as you that's novel, because they need,
yeah, they need that.
SPEAKER_00 (19:01):
I mean, with technology, where it's at today,
you know, you you need we needmore younger, and I would say
this younger generation as whatwe call ethical hackers to help
us prevent from cyber attacks.
Yeah.
So they're they're reallylooking, and UNLV has probably
one of the best universities forcybersecurity across the nation.
(19:21):
Okay.
And so we're really looking tostand up that university during
that week.
But a university department leadcame to me and said, Hey, I want
to finalize this week with anesports tournament.
And so help me find a game thatreally teaches young gamers
around cybersecurity and how ittransfers into a cybersecurity
degree.
And funny enough, the gameRainbow Six Seeds.
SPEAKER_03 (19:43):
That's the first one I thought about when you were uh
what that is.
SPEAKER_00 (19:47):
Yeah, there's a lot of there are a lot of skills
that a gamer learns in that gamethat's transferable to
cybersecurity.
And so we took that game, we'rebuilding a tournament around
that game.
UNLV with some key sponsors inthe community is going to back
it with the scholarship as well.
So the winning team is gonnawalk away with scholarship money
(20:07):
that they can they can apply tothe university.
But again, is that that's likethe early stages of the
university kind of picking upand going, okay, there's
something here with eSports.
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
And they're investing when you put money
behind it, they're investing,yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (20:19):
Yeah, you're investing into it, and they're
seeing the how esports become abridge between direct
correlation between computerskills and uh video games.
SPEAKER_03 (20:28):
Like most video gamers love to be on a computer,
like it's kind of just natural.
SPEAKER_00 (20:32):
Yeah, exactly, right?
And so, and you think about it,right?
This isn't the first time we'veused video games to build
skills.
I mean, you think about howastronauts learn how to fly out,
you know, into you know, ontothe moon or out of space, it's
all through simulators.
How does a pilot learn how tofly early on through a flight
simulator?
Yeah, right.
So simulators have always been apart, so technically gaming has
(20:55):
always been a part of someone'sdevelopment, someone's growth,
someone's progress.
It's just now this technology isso advanced, it's now pushed
into games.
So games like Valorant, Leagueof Legends, Rainbow Six Siege,
you play these games, you'reactually learning critical life
skills that transfer, and thoseskills are transferable into
(21:15):
real life industries, such asSiege, a lot of skills that
transfers over to cybersecurity.
So it's it's like now, but nowit's helping parents and helping
kids see that correlation, seethat.
SPEAKER_01 (21:28):
So you're not just playing, which I'm telling my
kids, stop playing.
Chris is telling me to have themplay, right?
But the truth of the matter islook, you're really learning
something.
Correct.
If you're doing it right, yeah.
If you're doing it right, doingit right.
But the games you were talkingabout, you were you said
something completely different.
You're talking about specificgames that are helping that
foundation, which is powerful.
SPEAKER_00 (21:45):
Yeah, and Chris is right, you got to do it right.
And today, a lot of kids whoplay independently in isolation
or online in the wrongcommunity, they're not learning
the right way.
And I'm hearing all the BS, thechat, the yeah, yeah, yeah.
But it's no different when weplayed basketball when we were
kids, right?
When we were kids and we were atthe park, depending which park
you went to, and there's norules or trip.
(22:08):
There were different rules ofbasketball depending on the
court you went to, right?
But then when you went to highschool, depending on what court
you played at in the rec, canthose skills transfer over?
Because I remember when I playedbasketball in the rec park that
I played in, it was physical.
And there were no fouls.
And so when I went and playedplayed school ball and they call
(22:28):
fouls and everything, I hatedbasketball.
Like I'm not playing.
That's why I went to football.
Yeah.
Because I needed to be more, Iwanted the physical side of it.
Yeah, I might like I didn'teven, I breathed on you, and
you're calling a foul, right?
So again, but that's the samething in esports.
So kids are learning inisolation and independence or in
communities online where theyaren't identifying those skills
(22:49):
that really transfers over intoa professional, I would say,
either professional careers orin the professional scene of
esports.
That's what we do in our arenas,our training centers.
SPEAKER_01 (23:00):
Yeah, so I'm gonna be honest with you, man.
Like, I'm I'm always fightingwith my kids about gaming.
No, Chris literally is tellingme all the time, like, you gotta
do it right.
SPEAKER_03 (23:09):
I also said to my daughter the other day, she's
playing a video game, and it'san economy-based game.
So I'm using that as anopportunity to teach about
economics.
Yeah.
Like, right?
So we're talking through howthis translates to world world
economics.
SPEAKER_02 (23:19):
That's a very good point.
SPEAKER_01 (23:20):
Lean into it.
So the point of the matter is,man, parents, you need to listen
to what this man's saying andget your kids in, but how and
this is not a sales pick, thisis literally it's a foundation.
And also to the point we weretalking about recently is Clark
County School District, right?
You're trying to not not thatit's a play, but you've got into
the Clark County SchoolDistrict.
Can you kind of explain whatthat's all about, that
relationship?
SPEAKER_00 (23:39):
Yeah, yeah.
So recently we've been able tobuild partnerships and
relationships with the schooldistrict.
The school district does anamazing job every year, and they
host what they call a sciencetechnology festival.
Okay.
So they bring in all the parentswho believe in STEM, want to
learn more about STEM, which isscience, technology,
engineering, and mathematics.
Um, you can also throw arts inthere as well.
Okay.
But they, you know, they meetevery year at the World Market
(24:02):
Center, and it really showcasesall the different activities the
school districts will bring tothe table to help their kids
accelerate in the STEM program.
So we've been a part of thatprogram now for two years.
And because of that, we've beenable to make relationships with
a lot of the teachers and thefaculties and the administration
here in Las Vegas.
So we've partnered with highschools where we've helped them
(24:23):
deliver workforce developmentprograms to teach kids not just
how to play in an esportstournament, but also how to
create their own esportstournament.
So this was cool.
We went to a high school and wetaught a six-week course on how
to create and run an esportstournament.
It was student created,student-led, student executed.
(24:46):
We only were expecting maybe afew teams to sign up for the
tournament.
So it was a six-week course.
At the end of the course, wewere going the end, the guess
the capstone project at the veryend of the course was for them
to host their own school esportstournament.
Again, we were only expectingmaybe a few teams to play, maybe
a couple, you know, maybe 50, 60kids show up for the actual
(25:08):
tournament.
What was amazing is that we hadover 80 teams sign up for the
high school to compete in thattournament.
And this was a duo.
So if it was 80 team, that's 160kids.
Then we had probably well over300 kids show up to watch the
tournament.
And it was in the schoollibrary.
I kid you not, that libraryhasn't seen that many kids in
(25:30):
the last five years.
SPEAKER_01 (25:31):
You bring on such a good point, right?
Like I'm seeing it with my boys,right?
They play sports, they do piano,but they're always recruiting
when they're getting differentpeople's numbers to recruit them
so they can all game togetheronline.
And I'm always trying to figureout.
Like, we had a game yesterday,and my son's like, hey, dad, can
you can I give him my number?
They were recruiting them to getin their group to play.
SPEAKER_03 (25:52):
Yeah, they don't text them, they don't call them,
it's just like they get their uhgamers.
SPEAKER_00 (25:58):
That's the news.
Well, it's it's what I call it'sthe new third space, right?
When we were kids, our thirdspace was outside.
Because your parents didn't wantyou in the house.
No, they didn't house.
And we we we didn't want to bein the house.
We wanted to be outside as lateas possible.
I'm pretty sure we all had arule we had to be on before the
lights, right?
So um, but now these kids likeyou gotta force them to go
(26:19):
outside.
It's scary outside nowadays,yeah.
It is scary outside, right?
And but but you think about it,their third space now where
they're meeting up with otherkids is this digital world.
SPEAKER_01 (26:30):
And it's a little safer, a little bit safer.
SPEAKER_00 (26:32):
Well, if it's not monitored, it can be dangerous.
Just but so was the park.
I remember when I was a kid, Imean, I don't don't I mean, I'm
pretty sure we all saw certainthings at the park that mom and
dad didn't really want to wantto see.
Right.
But again, if if if you're atthe park and you're and you're
with people responsible to takecare of you, the park was safe.
(26:55):
If you are at the park byyourself, you you could be
exposed to things that may notbe healthy for you as a kid.
Well, that well, that's the sameway in this online space.
If you are, if you allow yourkids to play online and if you
do it where it's monitored, thenyou can create a safe space for
them.
And that's what we do withVahalin.
We create this safe spacebecause we only allow kids
(27:18):
within that age community tocompete against each other.
We don't allow outsidecommunities to come in.
Yeah, but if you allow your kidsto play at home and play online,
then you do run the risk ofinviting the online community to
your child.
And so there is always a riskthat you can get the wrong type
of foot traffic coming intotheir lobbies, and then all of a
(27:40):
sudden now they're not playingwith with Chris, who's a friend,
they're playing with Chris who's75 years old, you know, online
for another reason.
But again, it was no reason it'sno different from when I was a
kid and you go out to the park,there was Chris as a friend, but
there was Chris who was 75 yearsold who was at the park for a
different reason, right?
So it's just it the com the thenarrative's the same, but the
(28:02):
communities are different.
SPEAKER_03 (28:03):
This is great important to educate the parents
because they talk pocky, youknow, not to probably, but like
I like I know all my kids gamertags, right?
All their friends.
Like I know this person is thisperson, this person is this
person.
SPEAKER_01 (28:13):
It's like auditing your whole thing who your kids
are hanging out with, or yourphone numbers in your phone,
right?
SPEAKER_03 (28:18):
It's kind of like, and I think most parents don't
feel confident enough to getinto that virtual world and that
environment to be able tounderstand that.
SPEAKER_00 (28:24):
Yeah, and you're and you're absolutely right.
Parents, because they don'tunderstand, they don't know what
to look for, and because theydon't know what to look for, the
easiest answer they can give isget off the games.
Yeah.
Which is me.
That's what I'm saying.
There's literally what I'msaying.
Because they don't understandbecause you because we don't
understand, right?
You're right, you're right.
But it's just like it's justlike when I played football,
(28:44):
when I first played, my momdidn't understand football.
What she saw was a violentsport.
She saw me physically eitherhitting someone and hurting them
or me potentially getting hurt.
It wasn't until she learned andunderstood football where she
realized, no, this was good forhim.
But it took her a while tounderstand that.
That's what we're hoping to dofor parents, right?
(29:05):
That's great.
The reason why we have Valhallais to help parents understand
how to understand this newspace.
So even when a parent signs uptheir kid for Valhalla, it is an
opportunity for us to, you know,for us to be there to make
certain kids are learning,they're growing, they're
developing, they're progressing.
Just like how you would sign akid up for a karate, right?
You I mean, obviously they'relearning technique to be protect
(29:29):
themselves, right?
Respect, a lot of differentthings.
Yeah.
But think about this.
If they learn karate onlinewithout a sensei, and because
because they can learn the samemoves online without without
someone mentoring them andsupporting them, they can learn
that same move.
That's a that's a move to helpdefend and protect themselves,
but they can learn it to attacksomeone too, and be on the
(29:50):
offense.
And again, if you if you if youif you understand the art of
karate, is you're you're you'rea weapon, but but the reason why
you're a weapon is Not to everuse your weapon.
SPEAKER_01 (30:01):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (30:01):
Right.
It's you, you're just there to,in the event you need to protect
yourself, you know how to.
It's not meant to be used to goattack someone, right?
But again, people can learn itand then all of a sudden to be
on the attack and then use itfor bad, not good.
So that's the reason why youhave a sensei.
That's the reason why you go toa dojo.
That's the reason why you learnthe principles and learn
(30:22):
everything around it.
Well, that's the reason why Ilike to I like to compare our
Valhalla training centers asmore of a dojo or or or a
training studio than a place toplay video games.
Like you're learning principle,ground rules, you're learning
teamwork, collaboration, you'relearning, you're learning comp
cognitive skills, comprehensiveskills, problem solving.
(30:44):
Yeah, there's tons of layersthat again, all parents want
their kids to learn in any sportyou play.
Well, that all exists in esportstoo.
SPEAKER_01 (30:52):
Plus, wild is now people can make a career out of
that.
Yeah.
That's what's tripping me out.
Like Hyro, we had he's made afull career out of this.
He makes money and brandingdeals and teaching and doing.
So that's the powerful thing isyou've got this foundation now
of different things that areprobably not gonna go up the
wayside with all these AI andstuff.
It seems like this is the futureof jobs and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_00 (31:13):
Yeah, I always tell parents, your kids are learning,
and I'll tell this to you if youdon't have your kids lean into
gaming, you are you don't have achoice.
Well, yeah, they love it.
You're losing, they're losingthe skills for tomorrow.
Yes.
So, and so if you want your kidsto know and learn the skills for
tomorrow, it's lean into gamingtoo.
I agree.
Because if you think about it,like Minecraft isn't just them
(31:35):
out there, you know, doing, youknow, I mean, although it looks
like they're just building thispixelated boxes everywhere.
No, they're actually learningsome amazing.
Every architect, engineer,developer is like, man, stop,
let them play.
SPEAKER_01 (31:48):
Let them make like processing chips and stuff in
Minecraft.
I'm like, whoa, I didn't evenknow how to do this.
SPEAKER_00 (31:53):
They're forging, they're there, they're learning
how the they're learning howthings mix to make, like, like,
like they just don't get a pieceof wood.
They have to go chop down atree, cut the tree.
SPEAKER_03 (32:03):
Chemical composition.
SPEAKER_00 (32:04):
Yeah, chemical comp all that is being learned in
this game.
And then they're building homes.
Like we have a we have a younggamer in our facility, he builds
theme parks, and you should seethe amount of work that goes
into some of the theme parks hebuilds.
And and so it's just all thethings that they're learning how
to tap into that creative sideof their brain, where now
(32:25):
they're learning how to discoverand explore things.
Like, that's the mind of anentrepreneur, too.
So you think about whatMinecraft really teaches, it
teaches this creativeness, this,this, this understanding of of
how things work in the realworld that can now be applied if
you if you show them that.
But again, if if you don'tunderstand that, all you see are
(32:46):
just these little pixel boxesbeing pill, right?
SPEAKER_01 (32:49):
It's like that's that's very it's a very good
point.
There's a lot now.
I see why this is a$500 billionindustry is because it's way big
and it's probably gonna go.
What what do you think this isgonna grow to over the next
probably 10 years?
SPEAKER_00 (33:02):
You know, for you mean for Valhalla or for just
the industry.
For both, yeah.
Let's start with Valhalla first.
Yeah, I would say for Valhalla,I mean our goal now that we've
acquired the whole company, it'sto it's to continue to scale our
arenas and continue to have anational footprint, is to grow
our online presence becauseyesterday we didn't have an
online presence.
Basically, in order to be a partof our community, you had to be
(33:24):
a part and in person, right?
Yeah, it's only in that city.
But that shouldn't, but the cityshouldn't be a moat, right?
It should so we have to buildbridges everywhere.
Online allows us to do that, andonline allows us to scale and
scale fast.
Got it.
And so us building our Valhallain online, now we can connect
kids in all communities to comebe a part of our ecosystem and
(33:47):
be a part of learning anddevelopment and community and
training and competition.
And then the third tier isreally helping more kids see
that there's a competitiveleague that they can be a part
of where they don't have to findleagues on their own, which are
sometimes difficult for them tofind.
And then finding leagues thatactually helps them grow and
(34:08):
develop.
Because a lot of these leaguesyou enter into that are
independent, because there's noage restrictions, you can have a
kid learning to play a game forthe first time with only maybe
50 hours of gameplay, playingagainst someone who's played a
thousand hours.
And those that's night and dayskills, right?
These guys are playing sometimesall grinding.
All night long, right?
And so that's just not a goodstart for someone who's looking
(34:29):
to compete in this industry.
At least in our league, we wehelp create these different
platforms for our kids tocompete in.
So just like if you were to playbaseball for the first time and
you're six years old, you startoff with T-ball.
So we have our T-ball divisionin esports.
Oh, different tiers.
And then once you get someexperience, then you go to like,
you know, rec ball.
(34:50):
We just we have the same tier inesports.
And then you want to play alittle, you want to get a little
bit more competitive.
We have our competitively club.
We have that in our esportsleague.
And then if you really want tochallenge yourself, you go to
little league, right?
That's highly that's where youknow you're playing the creme de
la creme of competition.
Yeah, we have that.
And then now, because of we webuilding that layer, now high
(35:12):
schools who are building theiresports teams have a place to
find their new their new talent.
Or we have our own high schooldivision where our kids can
compete in.
And then from there, nowcolleges have a place to come
find the kids.
That's powerful.
Because you think about ittoday, colleges don't know where
to find these gamers.
So they have a very difficulttime recruiting them.
But now, because of Vahalin,there's a destination for
(35:35):
universities to find the gamersbecause our because we we only
target the youth, where allthese other tournament platforms
can target all ages.
And then from there you have theprofessional realm.
So I would say for us, becauseof our league, because of
because of our arenas, andbecause of our online model,
that our online model is goingto be able to help us identify
(35:56):
where new arenas should go.
Because now imagine if you have,if you're, if you're in Tempe,
Arizona, and there's 250 of youin the community online in
Tempe, and then we tell all 250that an arena is coming to your
city now.
Now there's excitement.
Now you're already ready.
Now you know, okay, we have aplace to call home.
So now we're just gonna invertthe model versus plopping brick
(36:18):
and mortar arenas just anywhere,we're gonna let the online
community tell us where theyshould be.
SPEAKER_01 (36:23):
So it's gonna allow us to really check the pulse of
what's happening.
SPEAKER_00 (36:26):
Check the pulse.
We know where to scale, we knowhow fast to scale.
So then that way all three ofthese and all three of these
units work together to help usgrow.
SPEAKER_01 (36:34):
And then we know I gotta ask before I forget.
Say we want to open a franchise.
What does that cost for us toopen a franchise?
Can we get into that?
Is there is there opportunities?
But now, because you guys owneverything, is there
opportunities for that?
SPEAKER_00 (36:47):
Yeah, so we are actually converting our model
more to a corporate model.
SPEAKER_01 (36:50):
Okay.
Yeah, and so because because ofthe fact that you know people
hear this, they don't want tothey want they want to buy a
franchise.
SPEAKER_00 (36:57):
Yeah, so I I would say instead of focusing on
buying a franchise, you know,focus on investing in the
corporate model.
So then that way you're a partof the plan to accelerate and
grow.
Because as we are identifyinglocations to put these in, we
want to make certain yeah,you're part of the bigger,
you're you're a part of thecorporate strategy.
(37:17):
And the corporate strategy, andif you believe in the corporate
strategy, it it your investmentis now secured.
Got it.
You know, we're gonna makecertain that as these arenas are
open, we you know, the rightprinciples, the right
activities, the rightengagement, the right coaching
is happening in every singlecity.
So that's where corporate'sgonna be able to manage it.
(37:37):
So almost think of it like ifyou had a chance to invest in in
and out, like this is yourchance to invest in in and out.
Yeah, where if if if you know,you know, the model, the like
the model is there.
And and when you when you thinkabout it, when you when they
open an in and out, you don'tever have to worry about
traffic.
SPEAKER_03 (37:54):
Right away.
SPEAKER_00 (37:54):
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, it's it's you could havean in and out right down the
street from each other, and youknow what's up.
And the line's gonna be aroundthe block.
SPEAKER_01 (38:00):
Yeah.
Their whole story is that I metthe owner, the owner's daughter
at West Hollywood, and she'samazing.
Yeah.
What they've been able to do.
But in and out, just that's agreat example.
SPEAKER_00 (38:09):
But they protect, but they protect that brand and
and that and and theconsistency.
They want to make certain any inand out you go to is your double
double, your animal fraud, it'sall the same.
So they protect that.
And that's what we're looking todo because this is a community
that deserves to have the best,deserve to have the best
competition, deserve to have thebest approach to educating and
(38:30):
growing young gamers.
And we want to protect that.
To kind of go back, the fourththing we're looking to do is
adding that educationalcomponent, really starting to be
a place where esports is used,kind of like what you mentioned,
you're teaching your daughtereconomy, right?
Through through gaming.
There are so many games outthere that you can use to teach
economy, to teach teamwork,collaboration, creativity.
(38:53):
So we're we're also institutingprograms that use gaming to help
improve a child's journey intheir academic career.
So we're also using that aswell.
So with those four, I would say,programs that we're creating,
it's gonna really allow us tohelp us scale to a place where
(39:14):
this as a corporation, we shouldbe worth the billion dollars in
the next five years.
So that's the goal.
So you gotta invest.
You gotta invest people.
SPEAKER_01 (39:22):
They gotta invest.
You got a great mind, man.
I know, I know I asked you thisbefore, man.
So we're finishing up here, butjust business and life advice,
man.
You do a lot of stuff, not justwith Vahaland, you do stuff in
the hotel industry, hospitalityindustry, angel investor, I know
a lot about.
What's one lesson everyentrepreneur should hear that's
made the biggest impact for you?
SPEAKER_00 (39:40):
Oh, I would say the one lesson is that don't don't
put limits on yourself.
You know, I put limits on myselffor 25 years being in the
corporate world.
I believe that that was thatthat was the that was you, that
was me, right?
But that was me allowingcorporate to define who I was.
(40:00):
The moment I left corporate andbecame an entrepreneur, it
allowed me to dream.
And not only allowed me todream, it allowed me to do
something with my dream.
So there are a lot of people whodream, but then they don't do
anything with it.
And sometimes you you allow thisthis this this this voice in
your head to tell you it's toomuch, you can't do this, you're
(40:23):
it's not, you know, you're notenough.
You're not, you know, you youyou've never done this before,
so don't.
All that is is fear trying tohold you back.
Well, anytime I feel fear, Ijust face it head on.
Like if I so for example, Ifeared owning multiple homes
because I was always taught youown one home, you pay off the
(40:43):
home, and then you possibly buya second home.
Yeah, but there's a lot of riskwhen doing that.
I said, okay, I'm not gonnathink that way.
If if the fear is not to own asecond home, then I gotta go get
a second home, then a third,then a fourth, then a fifth,
right?
Keep pushing.
Then just keep pushing.
If you're not pushing, if you'renot stretching your your rubber
band, it's just think about it.
(41:05):
If you keep stretching yourrubber band, it's going, it's
going that that elasticity isgoing to stretch, right?
But if you don't ever doanything with it, it's gonna
stay tight and small.
Yeah, so I just keep stretchingmyself as much as I can.
So I went from homes toapartment complexes, from
apartment complexes to hotels.
And if you would have told methis six months ago or six years
(41:25):
ago, I would have called you aliar.
I would have said, You arelying.
I just want to own one home, apicket fence, and a dog with my
wife and my two kids.
Because that's safe.
Because it's safe.
And in in everywhere you go,everyone wants you to be safe.
But if you think about anysuccessful entrepreneur, think
of anyone, whether it's JeffBasil's, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs,
(41:47):
Damon Johns.
SPEAKER_01 (41:48):
I just met Jesse Itzler and was probably one of
the best.
I don't know if you know whatthat is.
Ran with David Goggins.
Remember back in the day, theNavy SEAL.
Oh, yeah.
His wife owned Spanks and allthat sold at the Blackstone back
in the day.
I met him recently.
It was amazing conversation.
Yeah, yeah.
But their mind is what you justsaid.
Yeah.
You know, he does thosehundred-mile races.
SPEAKER_00 (42:04):
Yeah, exactly.
To challenge himself.
Yeah.
I do tough mutters now tochallenge myself.
Yeah.
It's in it, but again, it's thatwhole place.
Like, stop playing it safe.
Every time I see something issafe, I I have to step out of
it.
Safe is your comfort zone.
I love it.
And you can't grow to your, youcan't grow to who you are really
supposed to be if you'reconstantly living in that
(42:25):
comfort zone.
I love it.
So I would just say my bestadvice is if if you're if
there's fear stopping you fromdoing something, attack it head
on.
Love it.
Attack it head on.
SPEAKER_01 (42:35):
Love it.
I can't leave you out of herewithout asking about
restaurants.
I'm a big foodie.
I'm always wanting to know whateverybody's eating, man.
So I thought you shared with usbefore, man.
What's what's a favoriterestaurant for you and your wife
to go eat at now?
Oh.
In Vegas.
SPEAKER_00 (42:46):
Well, there's three.
I don't know if I can give youthree.
Sure, go for it.
Okay.
Well, my wife's favoriterestaurant that she constantly
makes me take her to is Esther'sKitchen.
Esther's a great.
I go to Esther's a lot.
Yeah.
So Esther's is number one on herlist.
I would say number one on mylist right now that I that I, if
I ever, if I anytime I get achance to go to, I will, is
(43:07):
Barry's.
Yeah, we had them all.
Marco Yassine.
Marco is Yassin.
Yeah, those guys, amazing.
What I love about theirrestaurant is the hospitality.
SPEAKER_03 (43:18):
They're second to none, those guys over there.
SPEAKER_00 (43:22):
You've had grandma's cookies, right?
Okay.
So it's like solid.
It's solid.
Yeah.
Solid people.
It brings back just the wayrestaurants should always be,
right?
Glad you said that.
Yeah.
A lot of people say that.
Yeah, I love it.
But now the restaurant that mywife and I both, if we were to
pick one together, I wouldprobably have to say, oh my
goodness.
(43:42):
Saffron.
SPEAKER_01 (43:43):
Saffron's very good.
Vegan.
SPEAKER_00 (43:45):
Yeah, it's very good.
SPEAKER_01 (43:46):
It's a little hidden gym right off Spring Mountain.
And it's beautiful in there.
It is nice.
Nobody has said saffron.
I know you've been there.
That's a new one.
It's very good.
SPEAKER_03 (43:53):
It's vegan food.
That's probably why I never beenthere.
But you'll be very, you'll bevery surprised.
No, you'll be very surprised.
SPEAKER_00 (43:58):
Unless, I mean, and as you get, you you'll learn is
as you get older, your body justdoesn't respond to certain
things.
Spring Mountain indicator.
SPEAKER_03 (44:05):
I was like, Tacotarian's another gun I like.
That's uh that's vegan.
So I'm definitely open to it.
SPEAKER_01 (44:09):
I'll be honest with you, saffron is very good.
Yeah.
My kids even love it.
SPEAKER_00 (44:12):
Yeah, if you love Tacotarian, you will flip over.
Oh, yeah.
I'm gonna give it a try.
Yeah.
That's a good, yeah, you got agood palate, brother.
SPEAKER_01 (44:18):
You got a good palate, brother.
So much to talk with you, but wegotta keep having you come on
each year.
A lot going on.
So where can people find out orfind your social handles people
can reach out to you guys on?
SPEAKER_00 (44:28):
Yeah, so you can find us on uh social with
Valhalla Vegas.
Um, that's our local socialmedia channel.
Okay, our national social mediachannel is Valhalla Esports
Training.
So follow us on both.
Matter of fact, look for all 23locations and follow all 23
because every local area has itsown local narrative that we
really want to promote and standup.
(44:49):
Yeah, for me personally, you canfind me, just email me,
morris.jackson at vahalin.com.
I'm always looking for strategicpartners.
I'm always looking forlike-minded individuals who want
to benefit the youth community,and we're always looking for
investors who want to bestrategic partners to help us
grow, accelerate, and scale whatwe're doing.
I mean, we're on a mission rightnow.
I mean, when we first came onthis show, we talked about in
(45:12):
five years dominating thisindustry.
Now you just bought the wholebusiness.
SPEAKER_01 (45:16):
So you you back at your words, brother.
Exactly, right?
SPEAKER_00 (45:19):
I mean, we if you again, a year and a half into it
or two years into it, look wherewe are today.
Yeah.
And this is just the beginningfor us.
So we're pretty darn excited.
SPEAKER_01 (45:27):
Uh see, this is why I said this is what I want to
grow up to be, man.
No, no, but no, no, I applaud,no, I'm and I'm saying that with
I applaud you because you got agreat mind, man, and you do a
lot of different things.
And like you said, you put itinto fruition, you actually do
it, and you're a worker so thatyou get it done, man.
So I appreciate that.
I appreciate you hanging outwith us again, man.
We have to run it back, man.
And check us out at theVegasCirc.com.
So I appreciate your time, man.
(45:48):
Good stuff.
Thank you.
Thank you, my man.
Appreciate it.
Yeah, that was great.
Welcome to Vegas Circle Podcast with your hosts,
Pocky and Chris.
We are people who are passionateabout business, success, and
culture.
And this is our platform toshowcase people in our city who
are making it happen.
And on today's guests is justthat, man.
We're welcoming back to thecircle a second time.
This is who I want to grow up tobe, man.
When I become an older man, man,this is what I want to grow up
to be, man.
(00:22):
No, no, no, no.
We've we peers, man.
But we're gonna get into it,man.
So he's gone from owning one uhBahaland franchise to now owning
20 franchises.
We're gonna get into his story.
So holding strong got multiplelocations.
He's bringing gamings toschools, what we were talking
about, moving his headquartersto Vegas and planning a national
tour building hotels nationwide.
So welcome back to the circle,businessman and owner of
(00:42):
Vihaland Esports, Mr.
Morris Jackson.
Thank you.
Good to see you guys, man.
Good to see you guys.
Thank you.
So let's jump in, man.
So we had you about two yearsago.
They've got your story, butVahaland at the time, I think
you guys had you and yourbusiness partner at the time, I
think you guys had onefranchise.
You might have been buying yoursecond one.
SPEAKER_00 (01:00):
Yeah, no, spot on.
No, so Brandon and I, BrandonParker, who now plays for the
Atlanta Falcons.
Back then he played for theRaiders.
Yep.
Him and I identified this littlebusiness called Vahalin Esports
Training.
And as you know, it's it's aplatform where we help young
gamers between the age five and17 find their pathway through
esports.
Just like how if you wanted tolearn how to play baseball, you
(01:22):
go to Little League.
If you want basketball, you goto AAU.
Well, there was nothing therefor young gamers who are at home
loving the game, Valorant,League of Legends, Fortnite,
Rocket League, but they wantedto compete competitively.
There was no space out there tohelp help them kind of bridge to
that professional pathway.
(01:42):
So we found this great businesscalled Valhalla Sports Training.
Fell in love with the idea ofwhat we can do for young gamers,
specifically here in the city ofLas Vegas.
Opened our first location.
Matter of fact, again, like youmentioned, at that time, we were
opening our opening our secondone in Cornelius, North
Carolina.
That's where Brandon is from.
Him and his wife, Dominique, arefrom North Carolina.
(02:02):
So we were we were just aboutclosing on that transaction.
Over the last year and a half, alot has changed.
Not only have we opened ourthird location in Folsom,
California, which is nearSacramento.
But again, everyone knows Folsomfrom uh Johnny, Johnny Cash.
Oh, yeah, I know that name, butI didn't know what it was from.
Okay.
Okay.
So uh we we purchased thatlocation, got that one up and
(02:25):
running.
And then during that year, wewere really exploring the
possible possibilities of justowning the whole company.
Powerful.
Yeah, the owner at the time, youknow, he, you know, there wasn't
and he he believed in esports,but there wasn't an affinity for
esports.
Right.
We had an affinity for it.
He's he saw not only what wewere building, how we were
(02:45):
building it, what we were doingin the communities, how we were
promoting it in the communities.
And so over the last year, we'vebeen negotiating on just
acquiring the entire company,moving from franchisee to
franchiseor.
And luckily for me, during thatyear, I built some amazing
relationships with a few newpartners that are on the team
now.
One is my partner, Brian Hanula.
(03:06):
He's a sports agent in the NFL.
He saw what we were doing withthese sports.
He was he followed us early onwith Fahallen and said, Hey, if
I if you ever have a chance tolet me in on this, let me in.
That's why when we had thechance to negotiate this deal, I
said, Hey, here's your window.
He jumped right in on it, did amasterful job help helping us
(03:27):
negotiate this deal.
But then I also had theopportunity to bring on two
additional, actually, threeadditional partners.
One's a high-tech seniorengineer who can cut who's
coming in and helping us buildout our tech stack to do some
amazing things in the future.
Another partner is an amazingchief strategy officer out of
Denver, Colorado, orBroomsville, Colorado, who's
(03:49):
helping us as well.
And then a third owner, or thelast owner, he runs our location
out in Camp Hill, one of ourmost successful Valhallon
franchise owners.
I found it was important for usto bring someone who understood
the culture, understood what itwhat it takes to build a
successful franchise, to teachall the other franchise owners
how to follow that path.
(04:09):
His name is Andrew.
And so between now, myself,Brian, Mike, Wayne, Andrew, the
five of us, we're we're we'renow on the journey to growing
this to be not just adestination for all.
Well, not only growing this tobe a platform for all gamers,
we're growing this to become adestination for all gamers.
(04:31):
So when they're looking to findthat competitive landscape, we
want them to look, think, andconnect with Valhalla for that.
So yeah, that's where we're atnow.
So now 23 locations across theUS and 12 states.
So a lot.
I mean, it's been nine weekssince we've acquired it.
And so this is fresh.
This is fresh.
Yeah.
I didn't realize it was nineweeks.
Yeah, it's only been nine weeks.
(04:52):
And so still all fairly new, butvery exciting.
A lot of work ahead of us.
But again, we we we're in we'rein this industry because we
believe in where it's going andwhat it can do for the young
gamer and their journey tobecome a professional.
SPEAKER_03 (05:05):
Yeah, you know, we kind of the one thing is to me,
obviously, I'm a huge esportsfan in general.
So I'm definitely verypassionate about what you bring
to the table.
Would love my kids to be a partof it.
I think it's a great, you know,we talked about our last
podcast, you know, thedevelopmental and a lot of the
benefits you get from apersonality standpoint.
But from the business aspect ofit, when you go from being kind
of a franchisee, right?
You're developing your own firstlocation, your second location,
(05:26):
your third.
Is it it seems like to me a verydifferent dynamic to now you're
in charge of other franchisees,right?
Now you're owning the brand,you're in charge of marketing,
you're in charge of all thesedifferent aspects that maybe
you've not done there.
Did you have any experience likein that, or is it kind of
something you're learning as yougo now?
Because it seems like be a verydifferent model.
SPEAKER_00 (05:42):
Yeah, no, great question.
I mean, there's certain thingsthat I've had experience in.
I mean, thankfully, because ofmy history in the financial
services industry and me beingable to lead several banks
through acquisitions andtransitions and growth models,
I've been able to take a lot ofthat experience and apply it
here.
Again, not everything's asapples for apples, right?
But the one thing that I'velearned that you requires is
(06:04):
it's creativity, hard work,knowing how to use your
resources, identifying yournetworks, the people in your
network to help you grow andscale.
But yeah, to your point, likefor you know, going from a place
where we looked at the franchiseor when I was a franchisee as
the platform to provide us withmarketing strategies, provide us
with uh coaching strategies, ourdeliverables in the market.
(06:28):
And now we're in the seat wherewe're creating all of that,
which honestly is more exciting.
So now we're we're the we'rewe're we're the we're the artist
painting this masterpiece now.
So this is this is allowing usto obviously capitalize on the
things that we saw workedextremely well being in the
franchisee position, but thenalso identifying the things that
(06:50):
we've recognized that is wasstill needed to help us
accelerate scale in this newspace.
That was one of the reasons whywe took this over, is because we
saw there was so many thingsleft to be done, so many things
that needed to be built, so manythings that not just kids, young
gamers are you look are thatthat young gamers are looking
(07:10):
for, but we were looking, butthere's things that parents are
looking for that we needed toreally start it to answer for.
So that's where, again, we sawthis amazing opportunity to take
this over and use not just youknow my background and
expertise, but Brian'sbackground, Wayne's background,
Mike's tech background, andAndrew's franchise ownership
(07:31):
background and say, okay, how dowe blend all of these together
to provide not just otherfranchisees, but also the
members, the kids, the parents,the right type of product to
really help them see themagnificent impact of esports?
Because there's so much outthere that this industry is
doing for our kids.
SPEAKER_03 (07:48):
And there's a bunch of how do you one make those
franchises that were, you know,there under prior ownership
group now, because you know, youbuy into a franchise, you're
buying into the people, thecorporation, the company, a lot
of that aspect of it.
But you know, bringing in a newcompany, does it, you know, is
there some initial turbulencethat people start thinking,
like, what's going on here?
Like, how do how do you appeasethem?
Because obviously you've done agreat job already in nine weeks,
(08:10):
putting together an amazingteam, but you just said I'm sure
the future is bright, but youknow, I'm sure there are going
to be some like a lot ofuncertainty because they're in
contracts, right?
They're in uh stipulations thatare background to that.
Like, how do you navigate thosewaters a little bit?
SPEAKER_00 (08:24):
Yeah, you know, anytime there's change, right?
There's always going to be, youknow, different cycles people go
through, right?
Um, I think the great thing isthat because of, I think there's
two things, right?
One, us being franchise ownersourselves and being frank being
in the franchisee position.
I think that's helpful.
A little bit was behind thecurtain.
Yeah, exactly.
And I think they appreciatedthat a little bit versus it
(08:45):
being some independent outsidegroup that they're not familiar
with.
And so now all of a sudden itlends the question do they
really understand what's goingon, what we need, how to grow
these things?
Because we owned our ownlocations ourselves and we've
been through that journey.
It gives the franchisees theopportunity to see that there
(09:05):
are people who are leading thisthat are in the same position
they are.
You've been boots on the ground.
Yeah, we've been boots.
Yeah, exactly.
Boots on the ground.
And it's not like we've beenboots on the ground for a few
months.
Like these, it's been a year anda half.
We've been on the ground.
SPEAKER_01 (09:16):
I remember going to your grand opening.
It feels like that wasyesterday.
Exactly, right?
SPEAKER_00 (09:19):
And so them being able to see that is helpful.
Secondly, me us building a teamthat not only exists of one
franchise, existing franchiseeowner, but exists of three,
again, instills more confidence.
Sure.
And then one of the owners beingone of the most highly
successful owners within ourecosystem also helps the
narrative too.
(09:39):
Yeah, that makes sense.
Because they were alreadycalling him as a resource.
Um, I remember when I opened mylocation, he was the first
person I called, right?
Every his everyone knew when youneeded something, call Andrew.
Yeah, he was everyone'sgodfather, right?
Like call him, yeah, get whatyou need.
And he was, and he's he wasalways that beacon of hope for
everyone.
And now he's in a position ofownership, again, just to steal
(10:01):
confidence.
Now, don't get me wrong, thereare still things that they're,
you know, a lot of our franchiseowners are still waiting to see.
And we got to continue toprovide.
But we've done some thingsrecently and have a lot of
things on our roadmap to reallyprovide every single owner with
what they need to ultimately besuccessful in their individual
market.
So really out national, outlocal the nationals and out
(10:24):
national the locals is ourstrategy.
Gotcha.
Right?
Being able to position everysingle local location in a way
where everyone will know whothey are while at the same time
not being so big where it'sisolating the local markets.
We want to make certain everyonefeels not only invited when they
come into a location, butunderstands the enormity of all
this as well.
And so us being able to bringbring those type of strategies
(10:47):
and ideas, and we still want tohear from our franchisees to
embody what they want to see intheir markets.
And so they're if everyone'svoice is heard, which is good.
But again, it's still thehoneymoon period, right?
There's a lot of changes.
But I think as long as we keepour franchises first, actually,
(11:08):
we keep our members first andwhen and keeping our franchise
in mind with everything that wedo, I think we're going to
position every franchisee forsuccess.
SPEAKER_01 (11:16):
So I love the fact that Vegas is but we got so many
varieties, not just a serviceand hospitality industry.
So your plan is to move theheadquarters from Texas to Las
Vegas.
Yeah, cool.
SPEAKER_00 (11:25):
Yeah.
So I mean, obviously, Vegasbrings a lot of advantages.
I mean, so does Texas as well.
So no knock on Texas.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (11:31):
Where are they based at, right in Texas now?
SPEAKER_00 (11:32):
Um, they were based in Pearlin, Texas.
Okay, I don't even know whatthat is.
Yeah, neither do I.
Okay.
That's how you a lot.
That's how you a lot.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, but it, you know, it itgive it gave us the opportunity
to one, Vegas is alreadybecoming a a, I would say, a
prominent they they their thetheir approach to embracing
esports is already here.
Yeah, right.
(11:53):
We have HyperX Arena, which islike the one at Luxor.
Which is like the allegiancestadium to the Raiders.
It's is that to an esportsgamer, right?
We have Global Gaming Leaguewho's coming into town.
Yes, yep, right.
And then we had the city thatnamed, I think it's October 1st,
is East is an official esportsholiday.
Oh, that's pretty cool.
I didn't know that's a lot ofthings.
(12:14):
Jeez, Hyro, Inferno.
He was on the pod.
Yeah.
Hyro was on the pod.
Yeah.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (12:20):
Vegas Inferno, yeah.
Vegas Inferno.
Shout out to him.
SPEAKER_00 (12:22):
Yep.
And then on top of that, to yourpoint right there, right?
We already have a professionalesports team in Vegas.
Really good team, too, by theway.
Yeah.
So I mean, there were all thesethings, all these narratives
that we had in Vegas that wereally wanted to stand up.
Plus, this is an easierdestination for all of our
owners to get to because we haveyou know an owner in California,
an owner in Colorado.
So being able to make Vegas tohome destination.
(12:45):
And then again, when you thinkof us, you know, doing
tournaments and challenges.
I mean, everyone looks for anexcuse to come to Vegas all the
time.
Now, if I told you we werehosting a tournament in Pearlin,
Texas, it's kind of like it'snot exciting.
Not really, yeah.
It doesn't have that samethunder, right?
Vegas has that thunder that thatwe were looking for to really
drive that narrative.
But again, making Vegas, youknow, showing how Vegas is
(13:07):
business friendly.
Vegas is is is a place where allbusinesses should look at, hang
in their headquarters, gives usa great opportunity to do that.
And plus Vegas is home for us.
Yeah.
For a lot of us who who eitherhave it's from here or have been
from here, we just understandthe Vegas market.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (13:22):
Talk a little bit about like this is a$500 billion
with a B industry.
I didn't realize it was thatbig.
I mean, I know Chris knowsbecause he knows gaming and I.
Yeah, I make like 40 bucks.
You say you make 40 bucks apiece.
But the piece for you guys isreally to scale, you know,
Bahaland's space in this, man.
What is what's the vision behindthat as far as where you guys
will be in this in this piece ofthe pie of the 500 billion?
SPEAKER_00 (13:44):
Yeah, we just want like literally like a half a
percent of that.
SPEAKER_01 (13:47):
That would work.
SPEAKER_00 (13:48):
No, I mean, our space is, I mean, again, the
whole entire ecosystem has aglobal market cap of 500
billion.
Okay.
We really want to carve out thatyouth segment where everyone
else is focusing on theprofessional gamer, the prof
they're focusing on thesponsorship piece, the pro team
piece, you know, even thecollegiate side.
We want to focus on all thosethat are trying to get there.
(14:10):
So really talk, you know,really.
And you think about how in everysport that you know we dominate
in domestically, whether it'sbaseball, football, basketball,
we all know it starts from theyouth, right?
How you know, don't get mewrong, you have your anomalies
out there, you have yourindividuals that you know just
(14:31):
picked up the game, their senioryear of high school.
Yeah, and it just it justtrained.
But most players, if you know,who who who dominate the game
always goes back and they'llthey'll tell you how hard they
worked since they were a kid,and how while they were kids and
and they're growing up duringtheir youth years, how they got
to that level of a professional,right?
(14:51):
Sometimes they learn how to be aprofessional at the ripe age of
13 before they, you know, that'swhen they learn how to be a
professional.
So understanding what goes intobuilding that foundation is
critical.
And right now, I mean, and youthink about it, even those kids
who were the anomaly who made itat that age, they typically had
a support system behind them,whether it's mom, dad, or family
(15:12):
members.
But again, in this in this worldof esports, you don't really
have that foundation.
Matter of fact, you're fightingmore with your parents to play
versus them leaning into it.
You don't I agree with that'swhat I'm having, it happens at
my house.
SPEAKER_01 (15:24):
Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00 (15:26):
And so, you know, not having that community to
lean into, not having availableresources at your exposure, and
not having places for younggamers to go, clearly there
needed to be a space, and we'relooking to serve that space.
This space can address morethan, you know, I the
addressable market here is wellabove a billion.
However, again, we know we, youknow, we're not gonna be the
(15:48):
right fit for everyone, right?
So, but at the same time, withthis being a destination for
gamers, we will be seen as aplace where profession well,
young kids who want to be aprofessional, whether it's in
the field of esports or if itcomes from a career that's
influenced by esports, we wantto become that destination for
them.
But not just for the kids, forthe parents too, right?
(16:09):
Parents are looking for, youknow, they have questions.
They want to understand, youknow, how to help their kids
grow in this industry, whatcareers come with it, which
colleges are offering full risescholarships, which colleges now
are giving an esports degree.
There's all these questions thatare in the parent's mind, but
where do they go get theanswers?
I mean, Google's always a goodway to go.
I mean, chat become is becominga good place to go, right?
(16:31):
But really, it's that relation,the people you trust that you
get the best advice from.
We want to become that trustedadvisor, not only for the youth,
but also for the parents aswell.
SPEAKER_03 (16:40):
And you're gonna bring a good point, though,
because I know last time wetalked, there are a lot of
esports in college was kind ofrelatively getting newer and
newer.
It's like, but now it has becomemore mainstream.
Are you starting to see likenationally more of colleges are
offering those full rightscholarships for esports?
Yeah, it's like 100% now, orwhat's kind of yeah, what's the
integration next?
I know it's one thing definitelyfor me.
I wish I could go back, butthat's not something I have my
(17:01):
favorite now.
SPEAKER_00 (17:01):
But yeah, definitely not 100%, not not 100% of the
colleges as of yet, but more andmore colleges are converting
their esports clubs into in theand and now converting them into
sanctioned teams by theuniversity.
So you are seeing that happenmore and more.
Matter of fact, Boise State justmade a sizable investment into
their esports team.
Syracuse University just builtout their huge esports arena.
(17:24):
That's awesome.
So you're starting to see thesemajor universities come to the
table because they're beginningto recognize that not only are
these premier athletes, butthese are also your premier, I
would say, future career makers,right?
And industry leaders andentrepreneurs, right?
And so they're recognizing thatthese players are more than just
(17:45):
athletes.
They are professionals in thefield of esports and
professionals tied to careersthat are influenced by esports.
But to your point, more and moreuniversities are starting to add
on or add a program or addscholarships to their
universities.
I think when I first started,there were probably over a
little hundred, over, probably alittle over 150 schools that had
(18:07):
a full ride scholarship toesports.
Now, when I go back and look atit, there's well over 350
colleges that are offering fullride scholarships.
So UNLV do that?
SPEAKER_03 (18:16):
Huh?
Does UNLV do that?
Not yet.
UNLV didn't get on that, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (18:19):
We're working on it though.
I mean, UNLV is becoming a fastadopter of it, though.
Matter of fact, on October 4th,we're actually hosting a
tournament at UNLV.
SPEAKER_01 (18:29):
That's a national tournament you were talking
about.
SPEAKER_00 (18:30):
Yeah, well, that's no, that's that's a little
different.
Oh, that's next year,absolutely.
That's next year.
Yeah, you're good.
No, but October 4th, we'reactually hosting a tournament at
UNLV.
So UNLV is doing something onOctober 1st through the 4th
called Cyber Week.
SPEAKER_03 (18:43):
Oh, that's great.
SPEAKER_00 (18:44):
Um, and so they're having a whole festival on
cybersecurity to really start tointroduce uh and share with the
community about the amazinguniversity they built there
around to teach kids who arelooking to come into school
around cybersecurity.
SPEAKER_01 (18:58):
Because as you that's novel, because they need,
yeah, they need that.
SPEAKER_00 (19:01):
I mean, with technology, where it's at today,
you know, you you need we needmore younger, and I would say
this younger generation as whatwe call ethical hackers to help
us prevent from cyber attacks.
Yeah.
So they're they're reallylooking, and UNLV has probably
one of the best universities forcybersecurity across the nation.
(19:21):
Okay.
And so we're really looking tostand up that university during
that week.
But a university department leadcame to me and said, Hey, I want
to finalize this week with anesports tournament.
And so help me find a game thatreally teaches young gamers
around cybersecurity and how ittransfers into a cybersecurity
degree.
And funny enough, the gameRainbow Six Seeds.
SPEAKER_03 (19:43):
That's the first one I thought about when you were uh
what that is.
SPEAKER_00 (19:47):
Yeah, there's a lot of there are a lot of skills
that a gamer learns in that gamethat's transferable to
cybersecurity.
And so we took that game, we'rebuilding a tournament around
that game.
UNLV with some key sponsors inthe community is going to back
it with the scholarship as well.
So the winning team is gonnawalk away with scholarship money
(20:07):
that they can they can apply tothe university.
But again, is that that's likethe early stages of the
university kind of picking upand going, okay, there's
something here with eSports.
SPEAKER_01 (20:17):
And they're investing when you put money
behind it, they're investing,yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (20:19):
Yeah, you're investing into it, and they're
seeing the how esports become abridge between direct
correlation between computerskills and uh video games.
SPEAKER_03 (20:28):
Like most video gamers love to be on a computer,
like it's kind of just natural.
SPEAKER_00 (20:32):
Yeah, exactly, right?
And so, and you think about it,right?
This isn't the first time we'veused video games to build
skills.
I mean, you think about howastronauts learn how to fly out,
you know, into you know, ontothe moon or out of space, it's
all through simulators.
How does a pilot learn how tofly early on through a flight
simulator?
Yeah, right.
So simulators have always been apart, so technically gaming has
(20:55):
always been a part of someone'sdevelopment, someone's growth,
someone's progress.
It's just now this technology isso advanced, it's now pushed
into games.
So games like Valorant, Leagueof Legends, Rainbow Six Siege,
you play these games, you'reactually learning critical life
skills that transfer, and thoseskills are transferable into
(21:15):
real life industries, such asSiege, a lot of skills that
transfers over to cybersecurity.
So it's it's like now, but nowit's helping parents and helping
kids see that correlation, seethat.
SPEAKER_01 (21:28):
So you're not just playing, which I'm telling my
kids, stop playing.
Chris is telling me to have themplay, right?
But the truth of the matter islook, you're really learning
something.
Correct.
If you're doing it right, yeah.
If you're doing it right, doingit right.
But the games you were talkingabout, you were you said
something completely different.
You're talking about specificgames that are helping that
foundation, which is powerful.
SPEAKER_00 (21:45):
Yeah, and Chris is right, you got to do it right.
And today, a lot of kids whoplay independently in isolation
or online in the wrongcommunity, they're not learning
the right way.
And I'm hearing all the BS, thechat, the yeah, yeah, yeah.
But it's no different when weplayed basketball when we were
kids, right?
When we were kids and we were atthe park, depending which park
you went to, and there's norules or trip.
(22:08):
There were different rules ofbasketball depending on the
court you went to, right?
But then when you went to highschool, depending on what court
you played at in the rec, canthose skills transfer over?
Because I remember when I playedbasketball in the rec park that
I played in, it was physical.
And there were no fouls.
And so when I went and playedplayed school ball and they call
(22:28):
fouls and everything, I hatedbasketball.
Like I'm not playing.
That's why I went to football.
Yeah.
Because I needed to be more, Iwanted the physical side of it.
Yeah, I might like I didn'teven, I breathed on you, and
you're calling a foul, right?
So again, but that's the samething in esports.
So kids are learning inisolation and independence or in
communities online where theyaren't identifying those skills
(22:49):
that really transfers over intoa professional, I would say,
either professional careers orin the professional scene of
esports.
That's what we do in our arenas,our training centers.
SPEAKER_01 (23:00):
Yeah, so I'm gonna be honest with you, man.
Like, I'm I'm always fightingwith my kids about gaming.
No, Chris literally is tellingme all the time, like, you gotta
do it right.
SPEAKER_03 (23:09):
I also said to my daughter the other day, she's
playing a video game, and it'san economy-based game.
So I'm using that as anopportunity to teach about
economics.
Yeah.
Like, right?
So we're talking through howthis translates to world world
economics.
SPEAKER_02 (23:19):
That's a very good point.
SPEAKER_01 (23:20):
Lean into it.
So the point of the matter is,man, parents, you need to listen
to what this man's saying andget your kids in, but how and
this is not a sales pick, thisis literally it's a foundation.
And also to the point we weretalking about recently is Clark
County School District, right?
You're trying to not not thatit's a play, but you've got into
the Clark County SchoolDistrict.
Can you kind of explain whatthat's all about, that
relationship?
SPEAKER_00 (23:39):
Yeah, yeah.
So recently we've been able tobuild partnerships and
relationships with the schooldistrict.
The school district does anamazing job every year, and they
host what they call a sciencetechnology festival.
Okay.
So they bring in all the parentswho believe in STEM, want to
learn more about STEM, which isscience, technology,
engineering, and mathematics.
Um, you can also throw arts inthere as well.
Okay.
But they, you know, they meetevery year at the World Market
(24:02):
Center, and it really showcasesall the different activities the
school districts will bring tothe table to help their kids
accelerate in the STEM program.
So we've been a part of thatprogram now for two years.
And because of that, we've beenable to make relationships with
a lot of the teachers and thefaculties and the administration
here in Las Vegas.
So we've partnered with highschools where we've helped them
(24:23):
deliver workforce developmentprograms to teach kids not just
how to play in an esportstournament, but also how to
create their own esportstournament.
So this was cool.
We went to a high school and wetaught a six-week course on how
to create and run an esportstournament.
It was student created,student-led, student executed.
(24:46):
We only were expecting maybe afew teams to sign up for the
tournament.
So it was a six-week course.
At the end of the course, wewere going the end, the guess
the capstone project at the veryend of the course was for them
to host their own school esportstournament.
Again, we were only expectingmaybe a few teams to play, maybe
a couple, you know, maybe 50, 60kids show up for the actual
(25:08):
tournament.
What was amazing is that we hadover 80 teams sign up for the
high school to compete in thattournament.
And this was a duo.
So if it was 80 team, that's 160kids.
Then we had probably well over300 kids show up to watch the
tournament.
And it was in the schoollibrary.
I kid you not, that libraryhasn't seen that many kids in
(25:30):
the last five years.
SPEAKER_01 (25:31):
You bring on such a good point, right?
Like I'm seeing it with my boys,right?
They play sports, they do piano,but they're always recruiting
when they're getting differentpeople's numbers to recruit them
so they can all game togetheronline.
And I'm always trying to figureout.
Like, we had a game yesterday,and my son's like, hey, dad, can
you can I give him my number?
They were recruiting them to getin their group to play.
SPEAKER_03 (25:52):
Yeah, they don't text them, they don't call them,
it's just like they get their uhgamers.
SPEAKER_00 (25:58):
That's the news.
Well, it's it's what I call it'sthe new third space, right?
When we were kids, our thirdspace was outside.
Because your parents didn't wantyou in the house.
No, they didn't house.
And we we we didn't want to bein the house.
We wanted to be outside as lateas possible.
I'm pretty sure we all had arule we had to be on before the
lights, right?
So um, but now these kids likeyou gotta force them to go
(26:19):
outside.
It's scary outside nowadays,yeah.
It is scary outside, right?
And but but you think about it,their third space now where
they're meeting up with otherkids is this digital world.
SPEAKER_01 (26:30):
And it's a little safer, a little bit safer.
SPEAKER_00 (26:32):
Well, if it's not monitored, it can be dangerous.
Just but so was the park.
I remember when I was a kid, Imean, I don't don't I mean, I'm
pretty sure we all saw certainthings at the park that mom and
dad didn't really want to wantto see.
Right.
But again, if if if you're atthe park and you're and you're
with people responsible to takecare of you, the park was safe.
(26:55):
If you are at the park byyourself, you you could be
exposed to things that may notbe healthy for you as a kid.
Well, that well, that's the sameway in this online space.
If you are, if you allow yourkids to play online and if you
do it where it's monitored, thenyou can create a safe space for
them.
And that's what we do withVahalin.
We create this safe spacebecause we only allow kids
(27:18):
within that age community tocompete against each other.
We don't allow outsidecommunities to come in.
Yeah, but if you allow your kidsto play at home and play online,
then you do run the risk ofinviting the online community to
your child.
And so there is always a riskthat you can get the wrong type
of foot traffic coming intotheir lobbies, and then all of a
(27:40):
sudden now they're not playingwith with Chris, who's a friend,
they're playing with Chris who's75 years old, you know, online
for another reason.
But again, it was no reason it'sno different from when I was a
kid and you go out to the park,there was Chris as a friend, but
there was Chris who was 75 yearsold who was at the park for a
different reason, right?
So it's just it the com the thenarrative's the same, but the
(28:02):
communities are different.
SPEAKER_03 (28:03):
This is great important to educate the parents
because they talk pocky, youknow, not to probably, but like
I like I know all my kids gamertags, right?
All their friends.
Like I know this person is thisperson, this person is this
person.
SPEAKER_01 (28:13):
It's like auditing your whole thing who your kids
are hanging out with, or yourphone numbers in your phone,
right?
SPEAKER_03 (28:18):
It's kind of like, and I think most parents don't
feel confident enough to getinto that virtual world and that
environment to be able tounderstand that.
SPEAKER_00 (28:24):
Yeah, and you're and you're absolutely right.
Parents, because they don'tunderstand, they don't know what
to look for, and because theydon't know what to look for, the
easiest answer they can give isget off the games.
Yeah.
Which is me.
That's what I'm saying.
There's literally what I'msaying.
Because they don't understandbecause you because we don't
understand, right?
You're right, you're right.
But it's just like it's justlike when I played football,
(28:44):
when I first played, my momdidn't understand football.
What she saw was a violentsport.
She saw me physically eitherhitting someone and hurting them
or me potentially getting hurt.
It wasn't until she learned andunderstood football where she
realized, no, this was good forhim.
But it took her a while tounderstand that.
That's what we're hoping to dofor parents, right?
(29:05):
That's great.
The reason why we have Valhallais to help parents understand
how to understand this newspace.
So even when a parent signs uptheir kid for Valhalla, it is an
opportunity for us to, you know,for us to be there to make
certain kids are learning,they're growing, they're
developing, they're progressing.
Just like how you would sign akid up for a karate, right?
You I mean, obviously they'relearning technique to be protect
(29:29):
themselves, right?
Respect, a lot of differentthings.
Yeah.
But think about this.
If they learn karate onlinewithout a sensei, and because
because they can learn the samemoves online without without
someone mentoring them andsupporting them, they can learn
that same move.
That's a that's a move to helpdefend and protect themselves,
but they can learn it to attacksomeone too, and be on the
(29:50):
offense.
And again, if you if you if youif you understand the art of
karate, is you're you're you'rea weapon, but but the reason why
you're a weapon is Not to everuse your weapon.
SPEAKER_01 (30:01):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (30:01):
Right.
It's you, you're just there to,in the event you need to protect
yourself, you know how to.
It's not meant to be used to goattack someone, right?
But again, people can learn itand then all of a sudden to be
on the attack and then use itfor bad, not good.
So that's the reason why youhave a sensei.
That's the reason why you go toa dojo.
That's the reason why you learnthe principles and learn
(30:22):
everything around it.
Well, that's the reason why Ilike to I like to compare our
Valhalla training centers asmore of a dojo or or or a
training studio than a place toplay video games.
Like you're learning principle,ground rules, you're learning
teamwork, collaboration, you'relearning, you're learning comp
cognitive skills, comprehensiveskills, problem solving.
(30:44):
Yeah, there's tons of layersthat again, all parents want
their kids to learn in any sportyou play.
Well, that all exists in esportstoo.
SPEAKER_01 (30:52):
Plus, wild is now people can make a career out of
that.
Yeah.
That's what's tripping me out.
Like Hyro, we had he's made afull career out of this.
He makes money and brandingdeals and teaching and doing.
So that's the powerful thing isyou've got this foundation now
of different things that areprobably not gonna go up the
wayside with all these AI andstuff.
It seems like this is the futureof jobs and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_00 (31:13):
Yeah, I always tell parents, your kids are learning,
and I'll tell this to you if youdon't have your kids lean into
gaming, you are you don't have achoice.
Well, yeah, they love it.
You're losing, they're losingthe skills for tomorrow.
Yes.
So, and so if you want your kidsto know and learn the skills for
tomorrow, it's lean into gamingtoo.
I agree.
Because if you think about it,like Minecraft isn't just them
(31:35):
out there, you know, doing, youknow, I mean, although it looks
like they're just building thispixelated boxes everywhere.
No, they're actually learningsome amazing.
Every architect, engineer,developer is like, man, stop,
let them play.
SPEAKER_01 (31:48):
Let them make like processing chips and stuff in
Minecraft.
I'm like, whoa, I didn't evenknow how to do this.
SPEAKER_00 (31:53):
They're forging, they're there, they're learning
how the they're learning howthings mix to make, like, like,
like they just don't get a pieceof wood.
They have to go chop down atree, cut the tree.
SPEAKER_03 (32:03):
Chemical composition.
SPEAKER_00 (32:04):
Yeah, chemical comp all that is being learned in
this game.
And then they're building homes.
Like we have a we have a younggamer in our facility, he builds
theme parks, and you should seethe amount of work that goes
into some of the theme parks hebuilds.
And and so it's just all thethings that they're learning how
to tap into that creative sideof their brain, where now
(32:25):
they're learning how to discoverand explore things.
Like, that's the mind of anentrepreneur, too.
So you think about whatMinecraft really teaches, it
teaches this creativeness, this,this, this understanding of of
how things work in the realworld that can now be applied if
you if you show them that.
But again, if if you don'tunderstand that, all you see are
(32:46):
just these little pixel boxesbeing pill, right?
SPEAKER_01 (32:49):
It's like that's that's very it's a very good
point.
There's a lot now.
I see why this is a$500 billionindustry is because it's way big
and it's probably gonna go.
What what do you think this isgonna grow to over the next
probably 10 years?
SPEAKER_00 (33:02):
You know, for you mean for Valhalla or for just
the industry.
For both, yeah.
Let's start with Valhalla first.
Yeah, I would say for Valhalla,I mean our goal now that we've
acquired the whole company, it'sto it's to continue to scale our
arenas and continue to have anational footprint, is to grow
our online presence becauseyesterday we didn't have an
online presence.
Basically, in order to be a partof our community, you had to be
(33:24):
a part and in person, right?
Yeah, it's only in that city.
But that shouldn't, but the cityshouldn't be a moat, right?
It should so we have to buildbridges everywhere.
Online allows us to do that, andonline allows us to scale and
scale fast.
Got it.
And so us building our Valhallain online, now we can connect
kids in all communities to comebe a part of our ecosystem and
(33:47):
be a part of learning anddevelopment and community and
training and competition.
And then the third tier isreally helping more kids see
that there's a competitiveleague that they can be a part
of where they don't have to findleagues on their own, which are
sometimes difficult for them tofind.
And then finding leagues thatactually helps them grow and
(34:08):
develop.
Because a lot of these leaguesyou enter into that are
independent, because there's noage restrictions, you can have a
kid learning to play a game forthe first time with only maybe
50 hours of gameplay, playingagainst someone who's played a
thousand hours.
And those that's night and dayskills, right?
These guys are playing sometimesall grinding.
All night long, right?
And so that's just not a goodstart for someone who's looking
(34:29):
to compete in this industry.
At least in our league, we wehelp create these different
platforms for our kids tocompete in.
So just like if you were to playbaseball for the first time and
you're six years old, you startoff with T-ball.
So we have our T-ball divisionin esports.
Oh, different tiers.
And then once you get someexperience, then you go to like,
you know, rec ball.
(34:50):
We just we have the same tier inesports.
And then you want to play alittle, you want to get a little
bit more competitive.
We have our competitively club.
We have that in our esportsleague.
And then if you really want tochallenge yourself, you go to
little league, right?
That's highly that's where youknow you're playing the creme de
la creme of competition.
Yeah, we have that.
And then now, because of we webuilding that layer, now high
(35:12):
schools who are building theiresports teams have a place to
find their new their new talent.
Or we have our own high schooldivision where our kids can
compete in.
And then from there, nowcolleges have a place to come
find the kids.
That's powerful.
Because you think about ittoday, colleges don't know where
to find these gamers.
So they have a very difficulttime recruiting them.
But now, because of Vahalin,there's a destination for
(35:35):
universities to find the gamersbecause our because we we only
target the youth, where allthese other tournament platforms
can target all ages.
And then from there you have theprofessional realm.
So I would say for us, becauseof our league, because of
because of our arenas, andbecause of our online model,
that our online model is goingto be able to help us identify
(35:56):
where new arenas should go.
Because now imagine if you have,if you're, if you're in Tempe,
Arizona, and there's 250 of youin the community online in
Tempe, and then we tell all 250that an arena is coming to your
city now.
Now there's excitement.
Now you're already ready.
Now you know, okay, we have aplace to call home.
So now we're just gonna invertthe model versus plopping brick
(36:18):
and mortar arenas just anywhere,we're gonna let the online
community tell us where theyshould be.
SPEAKER_01 (36:23):
So it's gonna allow us to really check the pulse of
what's happening.
SPEAKER_00 (36:26):
Check the pulse.
We know where to scale, we knowhow fast to scale.
So then that way all three ofthese and all three of these
units work together to help usgrow.
SPEAKER_01 (36:34):
And then we know I gotta ask before I forget.
Say we want to open a franchise.
What does that cost for us toopen a franchise?
Can we get into that?
Is there is there opportunities?
But now, because you guys owneverything, is there
opportunities for that?
SPEAKER_00 (36:47):
Yeah, so we are actually converting our model
more to a corporate model.
SPEAKER_01 (36:50):
Okay.
Yeah, and so because because ofthe fact that you know people
hear this, they don't want tothey want they want to buy a
franchise.
SPEAKER_00 (36:57):
Yeah, so I I would say instead of focusing on
buying a franchise, you know,focus on investing in the
corporate model.
So then that way you're a partof the plan to accelerate and
grow.
Because as we are identifyinglocations to put these in, we
want to make certain yeah,you're part of the bigger,
you're you're a part of thecorporate strategy.
(37:17):
And the corporate strategy, andif you believe in the corporate
strategy, it it your investmentis now secured.
Got it.
You know, we're gonna makecertain that as these arenas are
open, we you know, the rightprinciples, the right
activities, the rightengagement, the right coaching
is happening in every singlecity.
So that's where corporate'sgonna be able to manage it.
(37:37):
So almost think of it like ifyou had a chance to invest in in
and out, like this is yourchance to invest in in and out.
Yeah, where if if if you know,you know, the model, the like
the model is there.
And and when you when you thinkabout it, when you when they
open an in and out, you don'tever have to worry about
traffic.
SPEAKER_03 (37:54):
Right away.
SPEAKER_00 (37:54):
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, it's it's you could havean in and out right down the
street from each other, and youknow what's up.
And the line's gonna be aroundthe block.
SPEAKER_01 (38:00):
Yeah.
Their whole story is that I metthe owner, the owner's daughter
at West Hollywood, and she'samazing.
Yeah.
What they've been able to do.
But in and out, just that's agreat example.
SPEAKER_00 (38:09):
But they protect, but they protect that brand and
and that and and theconsistency.
They want to make certain any inand out you go to is your double
double, your animal fraud, it'sall the same.
So they protect that.
And that's what we're looking todo because this is a community
that deserves to have the best,deserve to have the best
competition, deserve to have thebest approach to educating and
(38:30):
growing young gamers.
And we want to protect that.
To kind of go back, the fourththing we're looking to do is
adding that educationalcomponent, really starting to be
a place where esports is used,kind of like what you mentioned,
you're teaching your daughtereconomy, right?
Through through gaming.
There are so many games outthere that you can use to teach
economy, to teach teamwork,collaboration, creativity.
(38:53):
So we're we're also institutingprograms that use gaming to help
improve a child's journey intheir academic career.
So we're also using that aswell.
So with those four, I would say,programs that we're creating,
it's gonna really allow us tohelp us scale to a place where
(39:14):
this as a corporation, we shouldbe worth the billion dollars in
the next five years.
So that's the goal.
So you gotta invest.
You gotta invest people.
SPEAKER_01 (39:22):
They gotta invest.
You got a great mind, man.
I know, I know I asked you thisbefore, man.
So we're finishing up here, butjust business and life advice,
man.
You do a lot of stuff, not justwith Vahaland, you do stuff in
the hotel industry, hospitalityindustry, angel investor, I know
a lot about.
What's one lesson everyentrepreneur should hear that's
made the biggest impact for you?
SPEAKER_00 (39:40):
Oh, I would say the one lesson is that don't don't
put limits on yourself.
You know, I put limits on myselffor 25 years being in the
corporate world.
I believe that that was thatthat was the that was you, that
was me, right?
But that was me allowingcorporate to define who I was.
(40:00):
The moment I left corporate andbecame an entrepreneur, it
allowed me to dream.
And not only allowed me todream, it allowed me to do
something with my dream.
So there are a lot of people whodream, but then they don't do
anything with it.
And sometimes you you allow thisthis this this this voice in
your head to tell you it's toomuch, you can't do this, you're
(40:23):
it's not, you know, you're notenough.
You're not, you know, you youyou've never done this before,
so don't.
All that is is fear trying tohold you back.
Well, anytime I feel fear, Ijust face it head on.
Like if I so for example, Ifeared owning multiple homes
because I was always taught youown one home, you pay off the
(40:43):
home, and then you possibly buya second home.
Yeah, but there's a lot of riskwhen doing that.
I said, okay, I'm not gonnathink that way.
If if the fear is not to own asecond home, then I gotta go get
a second home, then a third,then a fourth, then a fifth,
right?
Keep pushing.
Then just keep pushing.
If you're not pushing, if you'renot stretching your your rubber
band, it's just think about it.
(41:05):
If you keep stretching yourrubber band, it's going, it's
going that that elasticity isgoing to stretch, right?
But if you don't ever doanything with it, it's gonna
stay tight and small.
Yeah, so I just keep stretchingmyself as much as I can.
So I went from homes toapartment complexes, from
apartment complexes to hotels.
And if you would have told methis six months ago or six years
(41:25):
ago, I would have called you aliar.
I would have said, You arelying.
I just want to own one home, apicket fence, and a dog with my
wife and my two kids.
Because that's safe.
Because it's safe.
And in in everywhere you go,everyone wants you to be safe.
But if you think about anysuccessful entrepreneur, think
of anyone, whether it's JeffBasil's, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs,
(41:47):
Damon Johns.
SPEAKER_01 (41:48):
I just met Jesse Itzler and was probably one of
the best.
I don't know if you know whatthat is.
Ran with David Goggins.
Remember back in the day, theNavy SEAL.
Oh, yeah.
His wife owned Spanks and allthat sold at the Blackstone back
in the day.
I met him recently.
It was amazing conversation.
Yeah, yeah.
But their mind is what you justsaid.
Yeah.
You know, he does thosehundred-mile races.
SPEAKER_00 (42:04):
Yeah, exactly.
To challenge himself.
Yeah.
I do tough mutters now tochallenge myself.
Yeah.
It's in it, but again, it's thatwhole place.
Like, stop playing it safe.
Every time I see something issafe, I I have to step out of
it.
Safe is your comfort zone.
I love it.
And you can't grow to your, youcan't grow to who you are really
supposed to be if you'reconstantly living in that
(42:25):
comfort zone.
I love it.
So I would just say my bestadvice is if if you're if
there's fear stopping you fromdoing something, attack it head
on.
Love it.
Attack it head on.
SPEAKER_01 (42:35):
Love it.
I can't leave you out of herewithout asking about
restaurants.
I'm a big foodie.
I'm always wanting to know whateverybody's eating, man.
So I thought you shared with usbefore, man.
What's what's a favoriterestaurant for you and your wife
to go eat at now?
Oh.
In Vegas.
SPEAKER_00 (42:46):
Well, there's three.
I don't know if I can give youthree.
Sure, go for it.
Okay.
Well, my wife's favoriterestaurant that she constantly
makes me take her to is Esther'sKitchen.
Esther's a great.
I go to Esther's a lot.
Yeah.
So Esther's is number one on herlist.
I would say number one on mylist right now that I that I, if
I ever, if I anytime I get achance to go to, I will, is
(43:07):
Barry's.
Yeah, we had them all.
Marco Yassine.
Marco is Yassin.
Yeah, those guys, amazing.
What I love about theirrestaurant is the hospitality.
SPEAKER_03 (43:18):
They're second to none, those guys over there.
SPEAKER_00 (43:22):
You've had grandma's cookies, right?
Okay.
So it's like solid.
It's solid.
Yeah.
Solid people.
It brings back just the wayrestaurants should always be,
right?
Glad you said that.
Yeah.
A lot of people say that.
Yeah, I love it.
But now the restaurant that mywife and I both, if we were to
pick one together, I wouldprobably have to say, oh my
goodness.
(43:42):
Saffron.
SPEAKER_01 (43:43):
Saffron's very good.
Vegan.
SPEAKER_00 (43:45):
Yeah, it's very good.
SPEAKER_01 (43:46):
It's a little hidden gym right off Spring Mountain.
And it's beautiful in there.
It is nice.
Nobody has said saffron.
I know you've been there.
That's a new one.
It's very good.
SPEAKER_03 (43:53):
It's vegan food.
That's probably why I never beenthere.
But you'll be very, you'll bevery surprised.
No, you'll be very surprised.
SPEAKER_00 (43:58):
Unless, I mean, and as you get, you you'll learn is
as you get older, your body justdoesn't respond to certain
things.
Spring Mountain indicator.
SPEAKER_03 (44:05):
I was like, Tacotarian's another gun I like.
That's uh that's vegan.
So I'm definitely open to it.
SPEAKER_01 (44:09):
I'll be honest with you, saffron is very good.
Yeah.
My kids even love it.
SPEAKER_00 (44:12):
Yeah, if you love Tacotarian, you will flip over.
Oh, yeah.
I'm gonna give it a try.
Yeah.
That's a good, yeah, you got agood palate, brother.
SPEAKER_01 (44:18):
You got a good palate, brother.
So much to talk with you, but wegotta keep having you come on
each year.
A lot going on.
So where can people find out orfind your social handles people
can reach out to you guys on?
SPEAKER_00 (44:28):
Yeah, so you can find us on uh social with
Valhalla Vegas.
Um, that's our local socialmedia channel.
Okay, our national social mediachannel is Valhalla Esports
Training.
So follow us on both.
Matter of fact, look for all 23locations and follow all 23
because every local area has itsown local narrative that we
really want to promote and standup.
(44:49):
Yeah, for me personally, you canfind me, just email me,
morris.jackson at vahalin.com.
I'm always looking for strategicpartners.
I'm always looking forlike-minded individuals who want
to benefit the youth community,and we're always looking for
investors who want to bestrategic partners to help us
grow, accelerate, and scale whatwe're doing.
I mean, we're on a mission rightnow.
I mean, when we first came onthis show, we talked about in
(45:12):
five years dominating thisindustry.
Now you just bought the wholebusiness.
SPEAKER_01 (45:16):
So you you back at your words, brother.
Exactly, right?
SPEAKER_00 (45:19):
I mean, we if you again, a year and a half into it
or two years into it, look wherewe are today.
Yeah.
And this is just the beginningfor us.
So we're pretty darn excited.
SPEAKER_01 (45:27):
Uh see, this is why I said this is what I want to
grow up to be, man.
No, no, but no, no, I applaud,no, I'm and I'm saying that with
I applaud you because you got agreat mind, man, and you do a
lot of different things.
And like you said, you put itinto fruition, you actually do
it, and you're a worker so thatyou get it done, man.
So I appreciate that.
I appreciate you hanging outwith us again, man.
We have to run it back, man.
And check us out at theVegasCirc.com.
So I appreciate your time, man.
(45:48):
Good stuff.
Thank you.
Thank you, my man.
Appreciate it.
Yeah, that was great.
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