Stepping into the world of gaming, Ryan sits down with Mike Saltzman, owner of Syracuse, NY-based companies Voltage Video Games and Viridian Dice. Mike has a vibrant history in entrepreneurship and branding, having started Voltage Video Games in 2011 and building the company into a downtown retro-focused institution. Though primarily known locally for his businesses, Mike found viral internet fame in 2013 when collaborating with filmmaking Mario Restive to create a YouTube ad that took the web by storm. Embracing greenscreen glitches, nuanced gamer jokes, and well-cued social awkwardness, the Voltage YouTube ad received over a million views gaining the store notability and turning Saltzman’s performance into meme-level popularity. Taking on the world of Dungeons & Dragons, Saltzman started Viridian, a company making supplies for the famed role-playing game. Starting off with in-house manufacturing then shifting to sourcing supplies across the globe, Viridian has become a prominent dice seller due to its low price point and approachable customer service.
In this conversation, Mike talks about growing up in New York’s Capital Region and discovering lifelong interests in his youth. Shifting to higher education, he talks about attending Binghamton University and taking a leadership role at the campus radio station WHRW. He tells the origin stories for Voltage and Viridian and offers an honest behind-the-scenes look at business partnerships and financing. Mike provides company culture and entrepreneurship advice along with a healthy dose of nerdy references.
To learn more about Mike Saltzman you can find him on Instagram @magitekmike. Voltage Video Games and Viridian Dice can also be found on Facebook and Instagram or online at https://voltagevideogames.com/ or https://viridiandice.com/.
For more information on the Meditations with Ryan Zlomek podcast, you can find The World of Ryan Zlomek on Facebook, @ryanzlomek on Instagram, Bluesky, and Tiktok, or email meditations@ryanzlomek.com.
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