1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,800 Welcome to episode 132, where cardboard dreams become real 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:06,800 life adventures. In this episode, we're diving 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:09,320 head first into Gen. Con, the best four days in 4 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:11,680 gaming. But let's be real, with 10s of 5 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:15,840 thousands of attendees, jam packed event halls and non-stop 6 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,040 meetups, it could be just as overwhelming as it is 7 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:21,400 exhilarating. We're going to unpack everything 8 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,800 you need to know to prep. From navigating social anxiety 9 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,640 and respecting table etiquette to knowing when to roll 10 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:29,400 initiative and just take a breather. 11 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,439 From packing the best snacks to staying hydrated, and most 12 00:00:32,439 --> 00:00:35,160 importantly, knowing where the secret bathrooms are located. 13 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,520 Whether it's your first time or your 50th, this is your ultimate 14 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:42,120 survival guide to making Gen. Con memorable without melting 15 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:43,920 down. So let's hit the exhibit hall 16 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,680 running with our backpack strapped, our confidence 17 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,640 equipped. It's quiet corners and confident 18 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:51,240 choices. Navigating Gen. 19 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:55,680 Con your way today. I've asked Drew Denning to join 20 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:57,200 me. Drew, how are you this morning 21 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:59,040 0? I'm doing mighty fine, Mighty 22 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:00,920 fine. And let me just say that intro 23 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:03,800 was absolutely beautiful. My gosh. 24 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,040 All right, PJ, how are you doing? 25 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:07,200 That's the. Right question. 26 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:08,640 You know what? Thank you. 27 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:09,960 I'm great. I'm great. 28 00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:12,880 Now that you're here, I also want to apologize to you and 29 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,280 thank you for your patience. We were supposed to do this back 30 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,960 in May and I got sick and so I'm finally got us rescheduled. 31 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:24,280 But I'm glad we did because Gen. Con's like in two or three days. 32 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,160 So and so it's a perfect time for us to talk about this. 33 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:29,160 Absolutely. Well, I'm just, I'm just glad 34 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,960 that you're feeling better. I just, I just, I'm glad that 35 00:01:31,960 --> 00:01:34,200 you were able to get over that and that you were able to meet 36 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,360 with me. So I'm absolutely super, super 37 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:38,120 excited for this. We have a, we have a good 38 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:42,520 portion to talk about and so we do and so, but I'll go ahead and 39 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,160 let you let you let you take the floor of it. 40 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:47,240 So let me hear. Yeah, this is. 41 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,240 So for folks who don't know, Drew, I brought you on because 42 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:53,800 you have a unique perspective to Gen. 43 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,400 Con, let's say myself and a lot of, I mean, yeah, OK, I go with 44 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,680 the lens of a podcaster now as opposed to a few years ago. 45 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,720 But most of my listeners, if they're either content creators 46 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:07,160 or they're just gamers, right. So you go to Gen. 47 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:12,720 Con for work, for your employment, and that is a 48 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,400 perspective that we don't necessarily get when we're 49 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:20,280 hanging out at the game table or we're chatting, you know, over 50 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:22,800 coffee in the morning or, you know, whatnot. 51 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:24,800 And so that's why I asked you one because I just think you 52 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,240 bring it, you bring a perspective that I think it's 53 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,720 worth talking about. Of course, PJ, I for myself, I 54 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,800 would simply say that I would love nothing more than to go to 55 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,800 Gen. Con for myself and for my social 56 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,840 media. And yeah, if I did a podcast for 57 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,120 my podcast, but I don't so, but I would love nothing more than 58 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:45,400 to do that. But there is a work aspect where 59 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:51,040 I'm being paid to go to Gen. Con and to be there and be 60 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,360 active. And the goal, the goal of 61 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,760 course, being sales as I'm a sales Rep for a manufacturer. 62 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:02,240 One of the one of the things that a lot of people don't see 63 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,720 or notice is just like how busy people actually are. 64 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,520 And so I don't know if anybody's ever felt that when they go and 65 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,840 they sit back and they talk with publishers, you know, even 66 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:15,680 people that you're friends with, like there's a lot of times 67 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,680 where you just walk on by and you're like, hey, good to see 68 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,800 you, you know, walk, walk on by. And that's, and that's really 69 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:24,120 it. The other side to that is there 70 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,040 also other side of that is just like there's times where we just 71 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,640 can't like talk to people like I, I can't, I'm in, I'm in the 72 00:03:30,640 --> 00:03:32,680 moment. I'm in a business meeting. 73 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,080 I have to bounce from meeting to meeting and have to schedule 74 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:37,400 things. It's actually really funny 75 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:41,600 because this year I've actually scheduled to have lunch with a 76 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:43,800 friend of mine. Like I had to schedule it. 77 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,000 I said, I have to put this down. We're going on Friday to have 78 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,200 lunch. And so it's just, it's just so 79 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:52,480 funny that like, it has to go down to that minute detail. 80 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:56,920 Sure of, yeah, of hey, this is when I can have time. 81 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:00,360 And so and, and the person I'm going to eat lunch with, they 82 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,000 said, hey, it's just going to be you and me. 83 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:03,600 We're just going to take a breather. 84 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,000 It's going to be fine, you know, things like that. 85 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:10,280 And I'm like, please, you know, that would be lovely. 86 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,720 But one of the things as well that I will get into a little 87 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:20,519 bit more and discuss on is when I, I'm famously known for not 88 00:04:20,519 --> 00:04:23,240 liking drink con. I make it very public and we'll 89 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:24,720 get into that a little more. You do. 90 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,320 We will get into that a little more, but I would say that a 91 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:32,720 good portion of the reason why is because mostly it is a little 92 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:36,840 bit business related, right? And I'm the one for my team 93 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:38,360 that's taking care of everything. 94 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:42,600 And it's really difficult to, it's very difficult if you don't 95 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,720 have a booth like as a business, whether you're a designer, a 96 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:50,560 publisher or manufacturing, whatever that you, whatever you 97 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:56,560 fit the bill of, it's very hard to get the right correct, like, 98 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:58,920 like people to work with you from Gen. 99 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:00,600 Con. And then that's not a, that's 100 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:02,320 not a, that's not a bash on Gen. Con. 101 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:03,640 There are good people that work at Gen. 102 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:05,920 Con. It's just, it's just like 103 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:09,560 pulling teeth to for a simple question. 104 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:11,880 And I'll get into more of that in just a moment. 105 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:14,480 But yes, there is a different perspective that a lot of people 106 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:19,320 don't really consider in that. Now there are some things where 107 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,320 it is social, where it is a bit of social anxiety. 108 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:26,400 I will dig into that as well. I've also spoke on that about 109 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,360 how like, Oh my goodness, I'm gonna trip. 110 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:31,640 I'm gonna trip over one of these wagons. 111 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:35,000 I'm gonna get knocked out by an all play backpack. 112 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,520 I'm gonna get Yep, I'm gonna be shoulder to shoulder with 113 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:40,800 somebody who hadn't showered in three days. 114 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,560 You know, it's just, it's one of those things where it's just 115 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:49,440 like, MMM, OK, Do I really do I really enjoy that aspect of it 116 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:53,840 when you know, I'm like, hey, like I, you know, it's great. 117 00:05:53,840 --> 00:05:55,680 I, you know, I'm happy that y'all are here. 118 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:59,560 Y'all have areas to play and things are going on but like you 119 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,760 know hey like please take a shower like. 120 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,480 It's yes, yes, this is your. We already know this is Yeah, 121 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,080 this is your service announcement number one for Gen. 122 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,320 Con. It's imperative that you shower 123 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,640 once a day, guys. Yeah, we say it all the time, 124 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,840 but we're going to continue to say it until you start doing it. 125 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,080 Absolutely. That's great. 126 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:22,360 Doesn't matter. It doesn't matter when you do 127 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:23,040 it. Morning. 128 00:06:23,280 --> 00:06:27,200 Evening exactly Sometime please. Yes, yes and yes. 129 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,600 And pack extra deodorant too. It doesn't help. 130 00:06:30,840 --> 00:06:34,800 It doesn't help that Gen. Con is scheduled at like the 131 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:39,840 hottest time of the year in Indianapolis, right? 132 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,720 I mean, I understand. I understand. 133 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,000 Like, you know, the, the challenge when I talk to people 134 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,000 that that have never been to Gen. 135 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,080 Con, which is crazy to me, but OK. 136 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,920 So the problem is that even Gen. Con is located at an 137 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:55,920 inconvenient time because a lot of part of the at least in the 138 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:57,720 United States, school's starting. 139 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:00,280 And so for folks who have kids, they can't go to Gen. 140 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:02,480 Con because their kids are starting school. 141 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,040 And I'm like, what? Which is surprising to me. 142 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,480 Then why isn't Origins, which is right in the middle of June? 143 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:10,480 Why is it not the bigger convention? 144 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:12,320 Or why isn't Gen. Con in June? 145 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,720 I get it, I'm not in charge of schedules and calendars, but 146 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:21,640 right? I agree 100% with that because 147 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,720 I, you know, you know, that's, that's the one thing and you 148 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:29,800 were at Origins PJ and was I, I hear, I hear this quite often 149 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,840 from people that I'm either having meetings with or people 150 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:35,320 who are, who are publishing friends and things of that 151 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,120 nature. They always tell me the same 152 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,880 thing, that their sales may not have been good. 153 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:43,320 Even even the big guys, even the big ones, yeah, big publishers, 154 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:45,360 they said the cells are not that good at origins. 155 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:48,480 Because the common thing is, is people continue to say I'm 156 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:49,480 waiting for Gen. Con. 157 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:50,800 I'm waiting for Gen. Con. 158 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:54,480 And it was actually really interesting the sales tactic 159 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:56,080 that a lot of people use this year. 160 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:02,240 My favorite one was there's a there is a team called Fox Hen 161 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:04,160 Creative. They are. 162 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,200 They made a game called Trash Cult that came out. 163 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:10,400 I do believe it was last year or the year, year before. 164 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:14,440 Yeah. And it was was it, I'm really 165 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,280 good friends with them because they, they work with me quite 166 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,080 often, whether I'm doing reviews for them or anything of that 167 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,840 nature. The funny thing was, is, you 168 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:27,640 know, they didn't get a booth. And so they, I started to tell a 169 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:29,520 lot of people they didn't get a booth at gin con. 170 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:31,960 So they're like, hey, we won't be a gin con. 171 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:33,880 So you either buy it here or you don't. 172 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,120 That's a way to. And they improve themselves. 173 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,200 I'm like, hey, that's, that's fantastic. 174 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:42,159 That's a great sales tactic. So I think that I think that 175 00:08:42,159 --> 00:08:45,520 that's something that people definitely have to overcome in 176 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:49,120 that barrier because like we can't take away from what Gin 177 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:51,040 Con is on this side of the world. 178 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:55,760 Gin Con is if you are AUS publisher and you have a booth 179 00:08:55,920 --> 00:09:01,160 or anything of that nature, you have exponentially like the most 180 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:06,600 like public viewing to anyone in the in the entire like anytime 181 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,840 that you could have. That's why that there's so many 182 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,240 releases. That's why people are doing all 183 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:14,120 these fun publishers are doing all these fun different things 184 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:15,720 like Pandasaurus. I love their content. 185 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:17,760 I love what they're putting out right now. 186 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:19,600 It's a absolutely Gen. Con. 187 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:21,760 Yeah. And I'm just, I know I'm name 188 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:23,800 dropping a lot of a lot of people here, PJ. 189 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,880 OK, it's fine. But, but I, I like, I like the 190 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:28,920 creative outlets and ideas that people have. 191 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,120 Like there's, there's good things inherently in Gen. 192 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:33,640 Con. I'm not going to sit here and 193 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:35,360 say, oh, it's the worst show ever. 194 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:38,120 Oh my God, it's it's frustrating for me. 195 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:40,520 Yes, right. There's a couple of 196 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,720 frustrations, but that doesn't take away the fact that there 197 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:48,120 are some absolute positives that could be on that end. 198 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,040 And sometimes for me, like I said, it's personal or it's 199 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:53,640 business. So it's a it's a matter of that. 200 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,360 Hopefully that answered your question through that. 201 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:01,040 Sure. So do you think the reason? 202 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,200 Well, I'm, I'm pretty sure the answer is yes, but I think the 203 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:07,120 main challenge, what I'm, what I'm hearing, the main challenge 204 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,960 for you is that there's a line between work and play. 205 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:15,040 And you are Gen. Con by its nature. 206 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:16,360 And this is true of every convention. 207 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,320 They are social, but you're there to work. 208 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,360 So there's a mindset that you've got to maintain. 209 00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:26,000 There's a boundary you've got to maintain, but your friends and 210 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,720 your fans, I'm sure you run into that too. 211 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:32,280 You just have the fans who absorb your content and like, Oh 212 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:34,520 my God, welcome to boredom, right? 213 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,640 They don't, they don't see that, right? 214 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:41,480 So they're on the other side and they can't see that line and you 215 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:44,680 have to somehow balance that. And that has got to be 216 00:10:44,680 --> 00:10:46,480 emotionally draining and stressful. 217 00:10:46,560 --> 00:10:48,160 It's pretty, it's pretty stressful. 218 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,640 There's a handful of people that I can keep that balance with 219 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,440 because they know, oh, Drew's silly online. 220 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:58,000 I know Drew because he's came to these shows before and we've 221 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,320 hung out. There's a variety of people who 222 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:03,920 know me for this. And then they put me into this 223 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,880 tight little box of this is how I know Drew. 224 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,360 I know Drew through manufacturing. 225 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:12,400 I know Drew through content. I know Drew through just being 226 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:17,280 Drew because like I'll be out eating or you know, whatever. 227 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:20,920 And I'm just introducing myself to people and just having a 228 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:25,200 having a good time. For example, at Origins, I had a 229 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:31,040 friend who invited me to supper and they were, they were, they 230 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:33,480 apparently invited 20 people to it. 231 00:11:33,560 --> 00:11:37,480 And I actually, besides him, besides him, I knew no one. 232 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,240 Oh my God. But I ended up having just a 233 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:42,800 great conversation, great time with them. 234 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:44,840 They were designers, they were publishers. 235 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:46,920 They worked for large publishers. 236 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:50,160 And one of them was there were two of them from two people from 237 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,480 Tantrum House. I think, I think, I apologize, I 238 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:55,680 don't know. I know Tantrum Con, but I don't 239 00:11:55,680 --> 00:11:57,120 know their channel. I apologize. 240 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:00,320 I'm not familiar with their work as much as I should, but they 241 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:02,720 were they were the 2. They were two lovely people. 242 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:06,000 And so and to me, to me, like, that's how they know me. 243 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,160 They just know me because, hey, we broke bread together and so, 244 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:12,520 and so they may not know me because of, of my content. 245 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:14,480 They may not know me because of this. 246 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:18,000 So like there, there is an aspect and then like I said 247 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,800 earlier there there's, there's a way that I can mesh all of that 248 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,200 together and just be myself with with a good handful of people. 249 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:27,640 Right, right. And so and so, but yes, there 250 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:30,560 are people who have seen me and they're like, Oh my gosh, I love 251 00:12:30,560 --> 00:12:32,560 your content. And I'm like, please don't, 252 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:34,680 don't say that. Please don't, please don't, 253 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,120 please don't put that out there. Don't, don't say that. 254 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:41,080 Just treat me like a normal human being type of deal. 255 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:45,000 And I, I said and, and no, no, that was, it was really, it 256 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,480 happened once and it was, it was, it was fairly awkward 257 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:52,040 because I was with a group of friends and this person came up 258 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:54,240 and said that. And like, it wasn't awkward on 259 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:57,320 them to do that. I'm happy that they came up and 260 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:00,280 said hi. I'm I am happy when people come 261 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,400 up and say hi and if they know me through content. 262 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:09,440 But you know, for example, my faith I ever received that was 263 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:13,680 super awkward, but so funny was somebody came back and they said 264 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,040 they told me. They said, Oh my gosh, Drew, I 265 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,440 love your content. I said I love your, I love your 266 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:23,240 unboxing videos where you switch from a weird video that you 267 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:27,360 found to you and like having to go, which is like a bait and 268 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:29,600 switch where somebody's like, why am I watching this? 269 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:31,320 They're like, why am I watching this? 270 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:34,160 And then they go, Oh, it's true. OK, well, I gotta watch his 271 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:35,480 unboxing. What did he get? 272 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:38,320 He got me hooked me in and so he goes. 273 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:41,240 I love it. I love those, but I have to but 274 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,760 I feel like he said, he said, but I feel like I can't watch 275 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:46,360 those in public. That's it. 276 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,040 You're probably right. There's a, there's some 277 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:54,480 interesting videos that I, that I, that I find, but the, the 278 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,800 point that I, that I, that I get to with that as well is like, 279 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,760 there are also people who know me from work and they know me as 280 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:02,920 Drew, the manufacturing sales Rep. 281 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,040 And it's like, Hey, Drew, we've worked with you. 282 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:08,320 Can you help me Drew this, you know, and they fit me into that 283 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:10,680 mold and into that box and that's fine too. 284 00:14:10,680 --> 00:14:13,480 Like you, you know, there's a lot of, there's a lot of hats 285 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,960 that I wear when I go to shows and, and so there's so many 286 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:20,360 different things that can be required of me. 287 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:24,560 I guess is the best way to say where, for example, I have a lot 288 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:27,120 of you know, I have a lot of meetings with this Gen. 289 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:30,240 Con coming up where it's hey, you're a media person. 290 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:34,520 Come to our party after the show, come to come to my booth. 291 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,720 I'll give you a free copy. It's and like like that sounds 292 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,240 fun inherently, but after being like shoulder to shoulder with 293 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:46,000 people, hot, muggy, I'm sweating, tripping over those 294 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,720 wagons and everything like that. I really don't like those 295 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:50,560 wagons. I can handle getting hit with 296 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:53,920 the all play like backpacks, but the wagons I can't do it. 297 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:57,600 I can understand the people who are like pushing their children 298 00:14:57,600 --> 00:14:59,320 around in that I will let that slide. 299 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:02,280 I will let that slide. But if it's full of board games, 300 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,200 I told myself this year I'm going to start kicking them 301 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:05,640 over. So I'm joking. 302 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:07,400 I'm not going to be that mean, but I will. 303 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:09,480 I will trip over more of them this year. 304 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,840 But like, after all of that, yeah, after all of that going 305 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:16,480 out to just spend time and things of that nature, it makes, 306 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:22,080 it does make it a bit tasking for myself to be there. 307 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,920 And it's like, OK, I have to take my manufacturing cap off 308 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:31,640 and I have to, and now I have to put on the social media fun Drew 309 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:34,560 guy, you know that every that you know, oh, people know me 310 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:36,680 through social media. And that's yeah, there. 311 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:41,640 I agree with you 100%, PJ. There's a lot of yeah where it's 312 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:46,560 like take this cap off, put this cap on, and every now and then I 313 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:50,360 can be all three where I can be myself, I can be welcome to 314 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,760 boredom, and I can be Drew the manufacturing sales. 315 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:55,720 Right, that must be nice moments. 316 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:57,880 That it is. It is pure bliss. 317 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,840 Yeah, yeah. It's just, it is a very, it's a 318 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:04,840 very warm and welcoming time to that, right. 319 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:08,000 And so like I said, there are a few people that I can be either 320 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:12,000 of any of those or just myself. And so but yeah, there is a, 321 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:15,560 there is a thing of it. And we were talking before the 322 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:18,560 before we started recording here, PJ, like, like they're 323 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:23,160 just times where I feel that social anxiety to where I can't, 324 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:26,520 where I just simply go. I, you know, like at origin with 325 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:28,120 with you. I told you, I said I saw you 326 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,120 from afar, but I'm in this meeting. 327 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:34,480 I'm trying to reel in this potential person to work with 328 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:36,640 me. And I said, I really want to 329 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:38,720 wave and say hi to you, but I just, I just can't. 330 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:42,440 And I do feel bad, like like I genuinely feel bad when I can't, 331 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:45,800 when I can't say hello to people or see. 332 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:48,760 Sure, sure. Just because hey, there's, 333 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:51,400 there's a part of it where I do have to work and I would love 334 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:54,040 nothing more more than to stop say hello. 335 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:59,560 And that's, and that grows that social anxiety inside of me to 336 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,360 like now I have now I have to go and find you, right? 337 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:07,640 And I feel that pressure to go and find you and say hello. 338 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:09,920 And then not just you. I'm just putting that in in 339 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:14,119 general, like terms of you, like, like anybody, anybody that 340 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:15,920 I will say there's, there's a couple of people. 341 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:18,920 And so, and that's The thing is, is like at these shows, I don't 342 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:21,640 ever check my phone hardly when I'm in the exhibit hall. 343 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:23,880 Good for you. Good. 344 00:17:24,079 --> 00:17:30,240 I try so hard not to check my phone, but at the same time I 345 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,520 know I have to in the back of my mind because I'm like this 346 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,560 person probably text me. Well, I have 14 text messages. 347 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,720 I probably should get back to these, you know, just and so 348 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,320 that's so before. We before we get too far away 349 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,360 from your comments, I want really quickly about the wagons 350 00:17:46,360 --> 00:17:48,000 and strollers, right? OK. 351 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:52,880 So I want, I would encourage all of our listeners go back to 352 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:57,280 Episode 128 where I talked with Susie from Games with Beanie 353 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:01,680 about bringing your family and your children under 12 to game 354 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:04,160 conventions. We talk extensively about 355 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:06,960 strollers and wagons. We talked about, she talked 356 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:12,520 about there's, there's not as many restrictions on those types 357 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:16,400 of accoutrement at UKGE as they are at Gen. 358 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:18,640 Con and and others, but check that out. 359 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:22,200 That's episode 128 parenting and play and listen to Susie talk 360 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:25,920 about that from the perspective of a mother bringing her kids to 361 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:28,600 game conventions. I just wanted to plug that real 362 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:29,840 quick because you talked about it. 363 00:18:30,120 --> 00:18:31,280 I haven't I'm. Excited. 364 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:33,320 I can't. I can't wait to take my son to 365 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:35,280 to conventions. I can't wait. 366 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,920 It's going to be exciting. Yeah, and he's getting big. 367 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,280 He's getting big. He is he, he turns, he turns, he 368 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:47,600 turns 2 next month and he is in the percentile of height and 369 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:50,440 weight and we are just so happy that he's, he's doing good, very 370 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:53,000 well. So we'll make sure you listen to 371 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:57,120 episode 128 because you might get something out of that to 372 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:00,560 help you when you do bring him to the convention that you know, 373 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:04,160 Susie's Susie's pretty terrific. So I have a follow up question 374 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:08,320 about the multiple hats and the balancing the work and play 375 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:09,600 while you're at Gen. Con. 376 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:12,640 Do you have I'm trying to figure out how to phrase this question. 377 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,160 I know what I want to ask. Do you have is there a neuro 378 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:20,880 linguistical cue that you have that we can learn and see right? 379 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:24,800 Like so basically, if I'm walking by and I see you, but 380 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,720 you have work hat on, how would I know that? 381 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:32,920 So that I, because again, and we talked about this in the episode 382 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:36,080 before this with Cassidy, when she's talking about dealing with 383 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:37,760 threat syndrome and going to Gen. 384 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:39,720 Con, I can't control anyone but me. 385 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:43,760 So if I'm walking by and I see you, how would I, by looking at 386 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:47,120 you, know which hat you're wearing so that I can be 387 00:19:47,120 --> 00:19:50,000 respectful of your time? Well, I would, I would 388 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,400 definitely say that. I would definitely say that we 389 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:57,240 it is a good balance. I would say that walking up and 390 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:00,320 saying hello is not an issue. What's? 391 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,920 Whatsoever I would say, I would say, you know, you know, and 392 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:07,480 I'll, I'll be polite and I'll say, hey, I'm so sorry. 393 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:08,800 You know, I'm in a meeting right now. 394 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,720 I would love to talk to you, you know, please, you know, and 395 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:13,360 please, let's let's catch up later. 396 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:17,080 I'll message you type of deal. And that's, that's my kind of 397 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,360 cue that I, that I share to people. 398 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:21,440 Like I still want you to come up, say hi. 399 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:27,560 But but I always, I always, I actually had this happen at 400 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,840 Origins with somebody and they walked up to me and I was in the 401 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:33,200 middle of a meeting and they came up and they were showing me 402 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:34,880 something and I was like, oh, that's great. 403 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:36,920 But hey, I'm so sorry. I'm in a meeting. 404 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:41,160 And then they messaged me later and they said, Hey, I'm so sorry 405 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:43,680 that I interrupted your meeting. And it's like, no, no, no, 406 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:46,200 don't, don't feel bad. Don't feel bad. 407 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:50,800 Just know that, hey, there is a thing of maybe I'm here for work 408 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:54,880 or maybe that I'm here for. And so it's hard for me to, it's 409 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,440 hard for me to tell you. Oh yeah, this is when I'm 410 00:20:57,440 --> 00:20:59,920 working, like when I'm in work mode type of deal. 411 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,800 And I, and as I said earlier, PJI would I would love to say hi 412 00:21:04,120 --> 00:21:09,000 to whoever I would love to, but as well, don't feel bad for 413 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,520 walking up and it makes me feel bad for telling you. 414 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:14,760 Hey, I I'm in a meeting right now. 415 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:18,320 I would love to talk with you, but I can't at at the moment. 416 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:22,600 And so so it makes me feel bad for disregarding you and coming 417 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,480 up to me. So, so First off, don't feel bad 418 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,320 for interrupting meeting. That's the very first thing is 419 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:33,160 if you come up and you interrupt work meeting with me or anything 420 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,720 of that nature, don't feel bad. Don't feel bad. 421 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:39,480 I, I, I will, I don't think anything of it. 422 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:45,880 I don't think I, I have no qualm or issue that you did. 423 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:49,680 I'm actually grateful you came up and said, I want you to 424 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:54,200 right, but don't feel bad for coming up to say hi. 425 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,880 And when I when I disregard you and say, Hey, I'm in a meeting 426 00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:57,920 right now. Sure. 427 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,880 And so and so I just it's one of those things where it's like, 428 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:04,800 it's like, I don't mind it. Me personally, I don't mind it, 429 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:08,920 but don't feel bad if I quickly shoo you away and say, Hey, I'm 430 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:10,800 so sorry. I'm in a meeting right now. 431 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:13,840 And I and I'm genuine. When I say this, I say, Hey, 432 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,120 let's, let's meet up later because I know it's a long 433 00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:18,280 weekend. I'll see you again type of deal. 434 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:22,160 And as well, we have more than likely have contact information. 435 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:26,360 And so we'll probably text each other or message each other on 436 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,120 social media and say, right, we will be there. 437 00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:32,440 So it's one of those things where I don't want to say 438 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,600 anything that's going to make people go. 439 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:36,760 There's Drew, but we can't talk to Drew right now. 440 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,680 He looks like he's busy. I don't want that, I don't want 441 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:43,720 that, but I also want I also don't want you to feel bad for 442 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:48,280 coming to just simply say hi And so if it's not a meeting, I will 443 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:52,320 accept you over and be like, oh, hey, have you met so and so this 444 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:55,600 is you know, that's that's my thing is I'm I'm I love 445 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,720 networking. I go to this show and I will I 446 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:01,440 will network with people. I'll say, hey, do you know so 447 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:03,800 and so they're on TikTok. They have great content. 448 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,640 Hey, do you know so and so do you know PJ? 449 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:09,520 PJ has a great podcast you you really need to check it out, you 450 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:10,720 know. Right, right. 451 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,560 And so and so, and it's stuff like that where I introduce 452 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:17,240 other people to other people and I love that. 453 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,200 I love, right? Like there's something inside of 454 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,400 me that just makes me go, oh, that, that's really good, right 455 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,400 So. And so there's a great line from 456 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:26,440 Ted Lasso where he introduced two people. 457 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:28,880 He goes, hey, you both just met cool people. 458 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:33,120 I'm like, I'm like, that's yeah. I'm actually Oh my God for the 459 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:34,600 show. Yeah, I'll. 460 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:36,960 I've stolen it myself. I love it. 461 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:38,360 Yeah. I love that. 462 00:23:38,360 --> 00:23:40,240 Feel, I feel what you're talking about. 463 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:42,200 It's great. I love introducing people. 464 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:47,440 And so it's a it's and so it's a really cool thing to do that. 465 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:50,960 And so I'm gonna say this is don't be afraid to come up and 466 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:54,640 say hi, but don't be upset if I'm like, hey, I'm in a, I'm in 467 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:56,640 a work meeting. Can I just, you know, I 468 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,160 genuinely am like, hey, it's not a big deal. 469 00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:02,240 It's really sure at the end of the day, at the end of the day, 470 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,320 this meeting, especially at Gen. Con, if I'm at a family like 471 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,840 origins or packs unplugged or any of these other ones, I'd 472 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:11,960 have more time to sit down. And it does look like, oh, 473 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:13,440 Drew's really working type of deal. 474 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:14,880 But a Gen. Con Gen. 475 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:18,280 Con is a different beast where it's it's walk up. 476 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:20,800 Hey, how you doing? Hey, you looking for, you know, 477 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:24,840 hey, I appreciate you wanting to take time to talk about 478 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:29,720 manufacturing and we get into that of it and probably take 479 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:34,400 I've never had a meeting at Gen. Con go longer than 10 minutes. 480 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,320 So and so I'm like, hey, I'm about to you know as well. 481 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:40,720 That's another thing. If you come up and you say hi, I 482 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:44,080 might be wrapping up a meeting because I've never true one go 483 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,160 past because everyone's like, oh, we paid a lot for this 484 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:49,960 booth. We need to we need to make 485 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:51,040 sales. And I get that right. 486 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,000 Like that's that's business. That's a that's how it goes. 487 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,320 And this is also the spot where you're gonna get the most 488 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:57,640 publicity. So. 489 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,280 Let's, let's, let's ask the question and talk about for a 490 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:02,440 minute. For those who are going to Gen. 491 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:07,000 Con for the first time and who don't know because you just said 492 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:08,520 Gen. Con is a different beast. 493 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:10,360 Why? Why is that? 494 00:25:10,360 --> 00:25:15,240 What sets Gen. Con apart from other American 495 00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:17,840 conventions that someone who's going to Gen. 496 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:21,240 Con for the first time would not normally think about or be aware 497 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:25,440 of? So I will, I will say this in 498 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:30,160 that regard, if you're going just to go, there's a lot of 499 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:31,760 things. It just really depends. 500 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:36,200 You got to ask yourself First off, what am I here for? 501 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:38,440 What am I? What do I, what do I want to do? 502 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,920 If you want to go and you want to play games and stuff like 503 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,640 that, you can do that percent. There's a lot. 504 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,200 I'm sure there's libraries where you can rent out games, you can 505 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,800 bring your own games, Take the games you just bought, you can 506 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:52,440 go play them. There's so many areas and places 507 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:56,920 where you can go to play games. If you are going there to see 508 00:25:56,920 --> 00:26:01,400 the new releases or anything of that nature, then then that is 509 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:03,800 definitely one thing that you need to make a point of. 510 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,520 Go to these different booths, these different publishers who 511 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,520 have these new games releasing, See what they said on social 512 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:13,640 media, see what's coming out, see what's happening, and then 513 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,440 you'll be more than you. You will have your feel because 514 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,560 there's a lot of games that are coming out at this show every 515 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:20,680 year. It's always the same thing. 516 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:22,520 There's a lot of games that come out at the show. 517 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:27,320 Then the other thing, and again, you don't have to have one 518 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:29,240 specific thing. Let me be clear on that. 519 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:31,280 You can have a mixture of all of these. 520 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:34,280 The other one is, is see what events that you can be a part 521 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:35,440 of. You want to be a part of a 522 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:36,880 tournament? Fantastic. 523 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:37,960 Prove. Prove yourself. 524 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,520 To be the tournaments. Yes, prove yourself the best 525 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:43,520 player of your favorite game. You know, if you want to do 526 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:49,480 that, go for it. Yes, I say that because my buddy 527 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:54,640 last year, he one of my buddies, he won the Arc Nova tournament 528 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:58,080 to capsule. It was so funny because he said 529 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:01,680 I have all the bragging rights now, Art, he said Arc Nova was 530 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:04,600 one of my favorite animal games. He said, and this just proves 531 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:07,920 it, that I'm the best. So you go OK, Yeah. 532 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,280 So he's he's been bragging all year long about that. 533 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:13,160 Sure. But like, but like events such 534 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:15,480 as tournaments, right? You can go to panels if you want 535 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:18,160 to hear different, different aspects and different parts of 536 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:22,280 it, which I do want to say, by the way, PJ, I am, I am, I, I 537 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:27,120 know coming on here that my friend would be very upset if I 538 00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:31,240 didn't plug it. But OK, we have a we I say we, 539 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:34,520 but they have a panel that's going to be going on at Gen. 540 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:38,640 Con and it's on Friday. I do believe it's at 11 is when 541 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:40,960 it is. Don't quote me to that, but it 542 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:45,760 is going going to be talking about diversity in the gaming 543 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:47,840 space. And so there's a there's a 544 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:54,520 mixture of people and things that we can improve as gamers 545 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:59,320 and as people, how we can be more accepting and welcoming at 546 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:02,800 not just our tables, but also just like in general. 547 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:07,840 And so I think that I think that it's an excellent, going to be 548 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:13,120 an excellent panel that I was invited to. 549 00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:15,840 I'm excited for it. And I think that it's going to 550 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:17,120 go, I think it's going to go great. 551 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:20,040 So I encourage people, hey, definitely come and check this 552 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:23,720 out when you can on Friday, so. That I love that. 553 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,120 I mean, that's the whole mission of this podcast is unite players 554 00:28:27,120 --> 00:28:29,760 around the world. I've said it before, diversity 555 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:34,320 is our strength. And yeah, we really, we, we 556 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:37,880 still have a lot of room for improvement and a long way to 557 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:42,320 go, but. I, I will say they did a, they 558 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:50,600 did a run of it at origins. And the big thing behind it is, 559 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:58,240 is not making automatic assumptions thing even even even 560 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:00,600 when it's the best of intentions. 561 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:05,200 Yep, even when it's when it's really well intended. 562 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:07,240 So I'll go ahead and I'll let you know. 563 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:10,640 Like there are there are people of different races of different 564 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:13,320 genders and things of that nature that are going to be on 565 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:17,080 that panel. But they said we need somebody 566 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:21,680 who's going to be nice but firm that will moderate the panel. 567 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:24,280 And for whatever reason, they decided to pick me. 568 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,840 And it's so funny. It's so funny because I was, I 569 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:32,960 was asked to go to the one in origins to, to moderate where I 570 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:36,400 just asked the questions. I make sure that everybody, you 571 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:38,920 know, I just make sure that nobody's getting rowdy or 572 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:40,520 inappropriate or anything like that. 573 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:44,240 And I make sure that they stay on topic and not venture off too 574 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:46,720 far. So my, that's, that's what they 575 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:49,200 specifically told me that my, my tasks were. 576 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:53,440 So they, it was so funny because when I told a handful of people 577 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:57,040 that I was moderating a panel for diversity, they said what? 578 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:02,700 And so it's just really funny because they told me in a follow 579 00:30:02,700 --> 00:30:07,080 up meeting last month, they told me they said, Drew, that's see, 580 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:10,720 look, if we want you to get to talk, you now have something cuz 581 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:12,160 people made assumptions about you. 582 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:16,440 Boom, doing this panel. That's exactly that is exactly 583 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:18,040 right. I'm not, I'm not gonna speak. 584 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:20,600 I'm not gonna speak. This is not, this is not my 585 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,200 space. I'm not a original panel member. 586 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:27,000 I'm just here to moderate and and so that's really, that's 587 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:28,840 really it. So, but it's going to be a it's 588 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:31,240 going to be an excellent time. So I encourage people to 589 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:33,960 definitely do that. And so I'm veering off topic of 590 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:38,080 it, but no, I do, I do want to say to your original question, 591 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:41,160 it's really just figure out what you want right out of the 592 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,080 convention. If you want to play, there's 593 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:46,560 plenty of spaces, plenty of things where you can play 594 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:49,600 exactly at any time of the day that you want to. 595 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:53,920 If you want to go to events, you can if you want to just buy new 596 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:56,160 games, you can do that too. So there's. 597 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:59,760 Nothing shopping. There's nothing set in stone 598 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:03,320 right that can like like can be said what it is. 599 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:07,040 So it's just a matter of what do you you want to do and get out 600 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:08,040 of your Gen. Con. 601 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:10,200 So there's no right or wrong way. 602 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:13,000 It's just like you said earlier, you know you. 603 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:17,320 Right, right, exactly. So that's going to lead me to 604 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:21,600 safety tip #2 at Gen. Con, please make sure to hydrate 605 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,120 and drink plenty of water. You're going to be, you're going 606 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:27,720 to be walking between open gaming and shopping and going to 607 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:29,280 panels. You're probably going to go to 608 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:30,960 the diversity panel. The Drew is going to be 609 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:33,920 moderating, you know, so there's a lot going on. 610 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:35,120 Gen. Con is a beast. 611 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:37,480 Make sure you stay hydrated. I'm going to tell you a quick 612 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:40,760 story about Origins. I did not follow my own advice. 613 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:45,360 The Convention Center is dry. It is so dry and the hotel we 614 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:49,000 were staying at was dry as well and I suffered bronchitis so I 615 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,960 already had inflammation in my lungs that I was just recovering 616 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:54,000 from. Did not drink enough water. 617 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:57,120 So when we got back home it just re aggravated. 618 00:31:57,280 --> 00:32:01,560 I almost missed a week of podcasting because my cough was 619 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:05,240 back so badly and it was like Oh my God, drink water, drink 620 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:06,760 water. Absolutely, absolutely. 621 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:10,160 And you don't realize how much you'll be walking, so it's true. 622 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:12,400 Don't lot of people don't think of that. 623 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:15,480 A lot of people don't realize, hey, it's quite a bit of a long 624 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:21,120 trek from the Convention Center to the football field, trek from 625 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:23,160 the football field to the hotels. 626 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:26,680 If you want to go up there and game or you have a meeting or 627 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:30,720 whatever, it's it's, it's a bit of a, it's a bit of a walk. 628 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:32,680 So definitely you need to hydrate. 629 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:36,760 There's no reason that you shouldn't because there's a lot 630 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:39,920 of spaces that you can go and fill up your water bottle. 631 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:43,720 And so that's, that's yeah, that's my thing is definitely 632 00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:46,520 hydrate. Last year a lot of lot of people 633 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:52,800 on my team with work made fun of me because I had a coke. 634 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:56,040 I call it, I call it just coke. When I say coke, I'm in just 635 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:57,160 general. So Yep. 636 00:32:57,560 --> 00:32:59,520 I know what you mean. Yeah, I know. 637 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:03,520 You know what I mean, BJ, But it was a it was, if you want me to 638 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:09,040 be specific, it was a Diet Coke and then or a Diet Mountain Dew. 639 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:12,240 And then I had water. And so and I would sit there, 640 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:14,560 take a sip of one, take a sip of the other. 641 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:17,240 So I'm just like, I got to stay caffeinated and I got to 642 00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:20,160 hydrate. And so it's one of those things 643 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,840 where, yeah, because a lot of people don't realize that too, 644 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:25,840 is like how late you will stay up at these shows. 645 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:29,320 Like, like, like time just slips by you. 646 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:31,800 It does so quickly throughout the show. 647 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:35,320 Like it's, it's going to go by quickly, my grievances aside. 648 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:38,040 Like it's going to go through the four days of Gen. 649 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:40,960 Con before we even realize that. It really will. 650 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:44,040 Yeah, so you. Blink and it's like, whoa, 651 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:46,600 Thursday's over, right? Right. 652 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,280 Yeah. Now you, I would say, I would 653 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:51,880 say if you really want to get the most out of your Gen. 654 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:55,520 Con is to look at the schedules of everything, see what you want 655 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:58,240 to see, what you want to go to. Kind of have an ideal schedule. 656 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:01,480 You don't have to be as exact as my schedule because I'm like, 657 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:04,400 I'm doing this at 8:00 AM, I'm doing this at 9:00 AM. 658 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:06,760 You know, I'm just listing list of things. 659 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:09,639 The other side of that is as well. 660 00:34:09,639 --> 00:34:13,239 I wouldn't go in without a little notion of a plan, like 661 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:15,360 what of your goal and what you want. 662 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,280 Absolutely. I mean, if you're if you're 663 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:21,080 spending that much money on a badge and then however much it 664 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:24,360 is for the hotel and then golly, Bill, you can't even think of 665 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:27,040 how much it is to park or anything like that. 666 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:31,000 Like, and that's that's if you didn't get a hotel across the 667 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:32,679 street or close walking right. It's. 668 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:35,120 Like. Right, I you're I just. 669 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:39,719 You're yeah, you're probably spending $2000 a minimum before 670 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:42,239 you even buy a board game in the vendor hall. 671 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,080 Yes. Yes, it's yeah. 672 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:47,719 Yes, if you. It just depends on It depends on 673 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:49,880 what it what it is exactly. Exactly. 674 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:53,040 That you're that you're going through I'll be I'll be open. 675 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,920 I'll share my finance finances on this to this. 676 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:04,200 I have a rental that I'm going to use and and I am using sorry, 677 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:11,440 I already have the rental and it is think it I do believe it was 678 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:14,880 about 7-8 hundred dollars just for that yeah. 679 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:20,360 And then it's and then of course the hotel be about $1000 for 680 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:23,600 five nights. That's that's if you didn't get 681 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:25,800 the. Connecting. 682 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:28,200 That yeah, yeah. If you didn't do the connecting 683 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:32,600 like I was, I was able to find a hotel that's about 30 minutes 684 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:36,000 southeast of the Convention Center. 685 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:39,720 So I've already got to spend money to drive, you know, 30 686 00:35:39,720 --> 00:35:42,760 not, not just to not just to Gen. 687 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:46,160 Con and Indianapolis, but I'm going to be driving about 30 688 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:48,640 minutes every day to the Convention Center and back. 689 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:52,720 Yeah, yeah. So, so yeah, that's, that's 690 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:54,280 already. And then all the money that's 691 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:56,000 going to be spent on gas and everything like that 692 00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:01,360 financially, like you are absolutely spending $2000 at 693 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:04,000 minimum and. There is a piece of good news 694 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:05,720 though. There is something that's there 695 00:36:05,720 --> 00:36:11,240 is something that's free yes, if you bring a refillable water 696 00:36:11,240 --> 00:36:15,040 bottle, there are refill stations throughout the 697 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:18,960 Convention Center and Lucas Oil so you could get free water. 698 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:22,080 So there's no reason for you not to stay hydrated. 699 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:25,200 That's. IE backing me up of what I said 700 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:27,120 earlier. I love it, I love it. 701 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:29,280 There you are man. It's great. 702 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:31,720 I know. I have a question for you and 703 00:36:31,720 --> 00:36:33,160 this is a personal one, of course. 704 00:36:33,160 --> 00:36:35,680 So this is this is me asking about myself. 705 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:38,120 One of the things that I struggle with, I think a lot of 706 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:41,040 other people do too, because of conversations that I have with 707 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:43,160 folks offline throughout the year. 708 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:47,760 When I see other content creators, influencers, whatever 709 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:52,160 term they feel comfortable with celebrity within our niche, I'm 710 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:57,440 often reticent to go up to them and say hello because I feel 711 00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:01,280 like, I mean, the short answer, I'm not worthy, right? 712 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:05,120 Like, I feel like my, my, my following is not as big. 713 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:08,520 I also worry about the etiquette because I've not met them 714 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:11,960 before. And I don't want to assume just 715 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:15,560 because we've shared a few met direct messages on Instagram 716 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:18,400 that they're like, Oh yeah, that's PJ from Meeple and 717 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:21,520 Meeple, right? So I never know how, which is 718 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:25,640 weird for a gregarious, you know, Cajun from Louisiana. 719 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:29,880 I get along with everyone would be reticent or nervous to walk 720 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:32,800 up to a essentially a stranger, although not a stranger. 721 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:37,040 But I'm like, how do I approach them and not assume? 722 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:38,800 Because it always goes about assumptions, right? 723 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:42,040 Not assume that, you know, Well, then they're going to know who I 724 00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:44,200 am and I'm just going to go, you know, what do you say? 725 00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:46,200 Yeah. That's a that's an excellent 726 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:51,080 question. I think that for me, I, if I see 727 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:57,240 someone who is definitely larger than myself, I, I, for me, I 728 00:37:57,240 --> 00:38:00,600 just treat them as another individual. 729 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:06,520 So I have a good story to this. OK, I feel like back at PAX 730 00:38:06,520 --> 00:38:12,000 Unplugged for 2024, I got to meet someone who I would say is 731 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:17,520 pretty big on social media for our niche and that is Carly with 732 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:22,000 Board Game Bud. OK, Yep, I think everybody, 733 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:24,560 everyone probably knows who she is by now. 734 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:28,720 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The huge, huge following. 735 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:32,760 Great content too, and overall wonderful person. 736 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:37,360 Well, I knew exactly who she was, but I just, you know, 737 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:41,400 because she was there with her family and I didn't want to 738 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:43,280 bother her or anything of that nature. 739 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:47,360 But I did introduce myself. And it's, it's very funny 740 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:49,880 because I was around a circle of friends. 741 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:54,160 I'm not sure if you know the designer Ammon Anderson made 742 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:57,120 GNOME Hollow. I know I know the name, but I'm 743 00:38:57,120 --> 00:38:58,400 not. I don't know him personally. 744 00:38:59,240 --> 00:39:02,160 I know him personally and he he's a really good friend of 745 00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:06,760 mine and I was play testing twinkle, twinkle that he has 746 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:09,840 with all play. Fantastic game, by the way, But 747 00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:14,120 I'm sitting there with just a handful of bigger content 748 00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:18,520 creators than than myself. And I showed up late to to it 749 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:22,720 and they said, and they said, hey, Drew, Carly was going to 750 00:39:22,720 --> 00:39:24,680 take your spot. But since you're here, that's 751 00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:26,120 OK. And I said, I'll do whatever you 752 00:39:26,120 --> 00:39:29,320 want me to do. Surely team I'm I'm more than 753 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:31,880 happy to accommodate for anything. 754 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,480 Ammon was over watching her game, teaching us how to play. 755 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:39,120 And then and then I could hear him in the background and Ammon 756 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:43,000 going, Carly, do you do you know Drew Drew's really great guy. 757 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:45,760 Like you should get to know him like and everything like that. 758 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:49,760 And Carly ended up like talking with me, hanging out with me. 759 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:52,160 We talked about playing a game name stuff like that. 760 00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:56,200 Never did, but but that's how it goes. 761 00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:59,680 But we just we just chatted about a lot of things and it was 762 00:39:59,960 --> 00:40:01,520 it was excellent. It was excellent. 763 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:06,040 I and so I feel like as well, PJ knowing yourself, going back to 764 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:08,240 what we just talked about earlier, where it's like really 765 00:40:08,240 --> 00:40:11,120 cool to introduce people to other people like Carly had no 766 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:14,880 idea who I was like, but just for the fact that I know other 767 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:17,760 people in the community, right. I have really good friendships 768 00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:19,720 with a lot of people. I was able to make that. 769 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:24,200 You know, somewhat friendship through that, but I do I do say 770 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:28,800 like I do say that for that, you know, just obviously treating 771 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:34,520 them like an individual that of what they, you know, just 772 00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:37,200 treating, I would say definitely treating them like an individual 773 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:38,640 of it. I think they appreciate that 774 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:41,440 more. They know, they probably know 775 00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:44,120 that you know who they are, right? 776 00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:48,160 If it makes sense. I know that you know that I know 777 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:50,040 that you know. Exactly, exactly. 778 00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:53,200 But like, but I see it all the time with like Tom Basil. 779 00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:56,960 I go to a lot of these shows and I see Tom Basil dice tower, you 780 00:40:56,960 --> 00:40:59,880 know, Yep, he's he's walking around and people are stopping 781 00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:03,280 him and shaking his hand, saying hi and treating him with that 782 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:07,400 type of just, you know, because like he knows that a good 783 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:10,120 portion of people in this niche knows who he is. 784 00:41:10,120 --> 00:41:14,160 And so, yes, so it is, it is one of those things. 785 00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:17,760 To be clear, Drew and I, Drew and I are not saying that we're 786 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:22,200 on par with Tom Basil. No, no, no, nowhere near that. 787 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:24,920 No, no, no, no. I believe PJI believe you 788 00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:27,240 deserve to be on par with him but. 789 00:41:27,240 --> 00:41:28,720 I don't know about that, but thank you. 790 00:41:30,120 --> 00:41:34,320 But I would, I would definitely say that like, like I just the 791 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:37,600 amount of people that walk up to Tom Basil and just like shake 792 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:41,160 his hand and say hello. And hey, Tom, you know, I really 793 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:44,800 liked this video, this review that you gave or whatever that 794 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:47,160 it might be. And it's just, you know, 795 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:50,000 engaging with them, talking about this thing that they've 796 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:52,600 taken their time out of. For some people, it's a job like 797 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:57,040 Tom Basil. It's it's a job for others like 798 00:41:57,200 --> 00:42:01,760 myself or any any anyone whatsoever like this is just 799 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:05,320 them doing it for fun, taking them out of their day and. 800 00:42:05,480 --> 00:42:08,440 Just like this is, yeah. Yeah, just for you having fun, 801 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:10,440 so and PJ, I appreciate you, you. 802 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:14,040 Thank you. I appreciate you as well. 803 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:15,280 Let's be fair. So. 804 00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:18,120 Well, I thank you, thank you. I think that, I think that 805 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:21,520 overall, I think that's going to be the best technique is to 806 00:42:21,520 --> 00:42:25,440 just, you know, to either introduce yourself, reintroduce 807 00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:28,360 yourself or anything of that nature, depending on the 808 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:31,920 varying, depending on the varying like interactions that 809 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:34,440 you may have had with them. You'd be surprised how many of 810 00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:37,960 them actually remember you. Like, like, and that's, and 811 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:41,120 that's The thing is like, like, I know somebody, somebody walk. 812 00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:43,840 I get that. I myself get that just because 813 00:42:43,840 --> 00:42:47,160 like Drew has, you know, X amount of followers, like, Oh, 814 00:42:47,160 --> 00:42:50,560 he doesn't pay attention to us. And I'm like, no, no, I 815 00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:54,680 appreciate all of you who like and comment and are active on 816 00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:57,400 social media with me and everything like that. 817 00:42:57,640 --> 00:43:01,160 But like, that's the one thing that I do kind of laugh at is 818 00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:04,200 people walking up and going. I've had this happen to where 819 00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:06,400 people come up and go, So Drew, you probably don't know who I 820 00:43:06,400 --> 00:43:09,440 am, but I watch your content and everything and I go, I know 821 00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:12,640 exactly who you are. Like, don't, don't sell yourself 822 00:43:12,640 --> 00:43:16,600 short like so, but like, but like, you know, with these 823 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:19,640 people who are of the on the larger side, with hundreds of 824 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:22,880 thousands of followers, they, they may, they, you know, you 825 00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:26,200 may need to remind them, you know, of your, of your name and 826 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:28,760 saying, hey, thank you for taking time to message me or 827 00:43:28,760 --> 00:43:30,360 whatever. Fill in the break, you know? 828 00:43:30,560 --> 00:43:33,760 Yeah. So I don't think there's a right 829 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,120 way to do it. I know there's a wrong way. 830 00:43:36,200 --> 00:43:38,760 And you're just walking up and going, hey, I think your content 831 00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:40,720 is garbage. Like you need to stop. 832 00:43:43,520 --> 00:43:45,080 I think that's kind of wrong, but. 833 00:43:45,720 --> 00:43:48,440 But what if my content is garbage and I really need to 834 00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:51,280 hear that? You need to hear how to improve 835 00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:56,920 rather than it being garbage so. I can only imagine, I know, you 836 00:43:56,920 --> 00:43:59,320 know what people are going to say to me when I get the Gen. 837 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:00,720 Con. Oh my God, they're going to be 838 00:44:00,720 --> 00:44:03,800 listening to this on their drive because this is this is when 839 00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:06,400 people consume my podcast. It's when they're driving to 840 00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:08,920 conventions and they they binge a bunch of episodes. 841 00:44:08,920 --> 00:44:10,520 They're going to hear this and they're going to call it to me 842 00:44:10,520 --> 00:44:13,880 and be like, your content is garbage and you need to. 843 00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:16,040 Stop. And I'm gonna be like, oh, 844 00:44:16,120 --> 00:44:19,360 Jerry, Jeff. You just, yeah, you can blame me 845 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:21,120 on that one, PJ. So that's OK. 846 00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:23,080 No, it's fine. I love it. 847 00:44:23,120 --> 00:44:28,440 And so I love it. I do wanna get into a topic very 848 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:30,520 quickly. We touched on it shortly. 849 00:44:30,640 --> 00:44:33,000 But I do wanna get into it a little bit. 850 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:36,640 OK more, if that's OK. No, I'm gonna take over the 851 00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:38,760 podcast. I was just, let's say, like to 852 00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:41,000 do it. Yeah, I was, I was gonna say 853 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:45,960 that we've sort of discussed about the social anxiety of, of 854 00:44:45,960 --> 00:44:47,520 conventions and things like that. 855 00:44:47,800 --> 00:44:50,240 And I do want to, I do want to warn people that with Gen. 856 00:44:50,240 --> 00:44:52,600 Con that it is, like I said, a different beast. 857 00:44:52,600 --> 00:44:55,800 Whereas it will be crowded. There will be a lot of people. 858 00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:57,760 You will be shoulder to shoulder with people. 859 00:44:58,080 --> 00:45:01,000 And I think that I think that understanding that like I'm, I 860 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:04,080 wish I was exaggerating. I wish I was, but you know. 861 00:45:07,200 --> 00:45:31,460 Yeah, yeah. Oh. 862 00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:35,360 She never seen me work and everything like that. 863 00:45:35,600 --> 00:45:37,880 She came on Saturday, the busiest day of the. 864 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:41,000 Busiest day. Busiest day of UK Games Expo. 865 00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:44,400 She's pregnant at the time too. Oh no. 866 00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:48,680 And she said she walked around, she walked around and she goes, 867 00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:52,640 I can smell everyone just so bad. 868 00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:55,240 And so, and so that was that was my mistake. 869 00:45:55,240 --> 00:45:58,080 So she, because of that, she actually swore off, says she's 870 00:45:58,080 --> 00:46:00,200 not going to go to anymore convention. 871 00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:02,160 OK. Because of that, but 872 00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:05,920 understanding that like there are, there are like it is, it is 873 00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:07,400 packed. It's not a, it's not like a 874 00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:10,880 small local one that's at, you know, whatever place that they 875 00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:13,480 can rent out, whether that's a small Convention Center or a 876 00:46:13,480 --> 00:46:15,640 hotel, anything. And nothing wrong with those. 877 00:46:15,680 --> 00:46:19,360 But I would say that definitely, if you're spending this amount 878 00:46:19,360 --> 00:46:22,160 of money, definitely try to get the most out of what you can, 879 00:46:22,160 --> 00:46:25,880 but don't feel that social anxiety of, you know, hey, 880 00:46:25,880 --> 00:46:28,520 there's spots where you can go, you can sit down, take a break. 881 00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:31,680 There's yeah, there's spots where you can get away from the 882 00:46:31,680 --> 00:46:35,720 people go go to lunch, go to go to grab a bite to eat somewhere 883 00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:39,120 like it's there are a lot of things to do. 884 00:46:39,120 --> 00:46:43,520 It is for me, it is that social anxiety of combination of 885 00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:46,480 business and PJ. I know you were you were you 886 00:46:46,480 --> 00:46:48,840 more than likely were raised very similar, at least I'm 887 00:46:48,840 --> 00:46:51,640 assuming from you being from the South like I am. 888 00:46:51,640 --> 00:46:55,680 But you know, it's very improper and impolite to be late. 889 00:46:55,800 --> 00:46:59,640 So you have to apologize for being late and things like that. 890 00:46:59,640 --> 00:47:03,200 For me, it's, it's that social anxiety of, oh, they're gonna 891 00:47:03,360 --> 00:47:05,640 think I'm horrible because I'm late to this meeting. 892 00:47:05,640 --> 00:47:07,560 And yeah. And it's the, it's the fact that 893 00:47:07,560 --> 00:47:10,520 there's so much congestion and I can't get by this right here. 894 00:47:10,520 --> 00:47:12,360 But there's also like really cool things. 895 00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:15,280 Like, OK, there was there was once a Gen. 896 00:47:15,280 --> 00:47:18,560 Con last year where there was a lot of congestion and it was 897 00:47:18,560 --> 00:47:21,120 just because there was a crowd of people watching something 898 00:47:21,120 --> 00:47:23,240 that was really cool. And I can't blame them. 899 00:47:23,320 --> 00:47:26,040 It's really cool. Like somebody was dressed in a 900 00:47:26,280 --> 00:47:31,440 medieval cosplay type of thing and they were playing the fiddle 901 00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:34,480 or violin, I guess. But we you you and I call it 902 00:47:34,480 --> 00:47:37,760 fiddle but right? No, Yep, you're right. 903 00:47:38,280 --> 00:47:40,320 And, and they're sitting there and they're playing it and it's 904 00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:43,320 beautiful. It is, it is, it's very high, 905 00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:46,520 upbeat type of thing. But I'm, I'm sitting there and 906 00:47:46,520 --> 00:47:48,520 I'm like, I can't enjoy this right now. 907 00:47:48,520 --> 00:47:51,960 I'm, you know, about to be, I'm about to be late to this 908 00:47:51,960 --> 00:47:54,760 meeting, being on the other side of the convention. 909 00:47:56,160 --> 00:47:58,640 Oh my gosh. And so, and I know that's petty, 910 00:47:58,880 --> 00:48:01,440 Don't please don't take it as anything I'm complaining here. 911 00:48:01,440 --> 00:48:04,800 But like, you know, there's just times where like with that 912 00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:08,200 combined with the fact of of, you know, talking and chatting 913 00:48:08,760 --> 00:48:12,680 with people and then like, hey, I'm sorry, I don't mean to cut 914 00:48:12,680 --> 00:48:14,880 the conversation short. I love chatting with you. 915 00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:20,280 I have to go type of thing. And so that's a thing that a lot 916 00:48:20,280 --> 00:48:24,960 of people don't, don't get because they're like, oh, we're 917 00:48:24,960 --> 00:48:27,160 going to go to lunch or oh, we're going to go sit down, play 918 00:48:27,160 --> 00:48:29,560 this game we just bought, you know, things like that. 919 00:48:29,560 --> 00:48:32,160 When, when you are there to kind of work. 920 00:48:32,240 --> 00:48:36,240 I, I know that designers kind of feel that, especially if they're 921 00:48:36,240 --> 00:48:39,000 independent designers, There's a lot of people who are like, hey, 922 00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:41,560 come meet me at this spot. We're going to play this game 923 00:48:41,560 --> 00:48:45,920 that's coming out, play test it for me, new game type of thing 924 00:48:46,600 --> 00:48:50,320 and there's great, great things right in that. 925 00:48:50,560 --> 00:48:55,000 So I think that understanding that there is a little business 926 00:48:55,000 --> 00:48:59,680 social anxiety, there's a little bit social anxiety because you 927 00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:06,040 are you are also trying to make sure that you spend a good 928 00:49:06,040 --> 00:49:08,400 amount of quality time with that person. 929 00:49:08,520 --> 00:49:12,000 Yes, yeah. So cuz, like, cuz like PJII, see 930 00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:16,280 you, let's see Origins, Gen. Con and PAX Unplugged. 931 00:49:16,520 --> 00:49:19,160 I want to spend time with you. You have not seen me at PAX 932 00:49:19,160 --> 00:49:20,760 Unplugged. Have you not been? 933 00:49:20,800 --> 00:49:21,600 I have not. Been. 934 00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:25,680 I have not been. I see you at Origins and Gen. 935 00:49:25,680 --> 00:49:28,080 Con every year. Right, and that's it. 936 00:49:28,280 --> 00:49:28,880 That's it. That's. 937 00:49:29,040 --> 00:49:33,080 It and I do don't get me wrong, PJ, I want to spend time with 938 00:49:33,080 --> 00:49:37,080 you like I want to grab lunch with you or go to anything like 939 00:49:37,080 --> 00:49:39,120 that. But when I'm like. 940 00:49:39,280 --> 00:49:40,960 You got things to do. I do. 941 00:49:41,120 --> 00:49:43,560 I do. If I paid out of my own pocket 942 00:49:43,560 --> 00:49:46,000 to be here, we would sit and talk and chat forever. 943 00:49:46,440 --> 00:49:51,560 Yes, I but a company paid for me to be so I hear that to that I 944 00:49:51,640 --> 00:49:54,440 hear so and and there's also like the thing with people like 945 00:49:54,680 --> 00:49:57,520 who go to work at the booths, like people who are doing giving 946 00:49:57,520 --> 00:50:00,280 out demos and stuff like that, right, but it's only for like 947 00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:04,720 half a day where right, where most of them, either the people 948 00:50:04,720 --> 00:50:08,440 who are like actually working or own the company publishing 949 00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:12,760 company and have the booth or people who are trying to get 950 00:50:12,760 --> 00:50:15,600 their game out there, maybe a designer or a small publisher, 951 00:50:15,600 --> 00:50:18,480 you know, or, you know, they're like me with a manufacturer and 952 00:50:18,480 --> 00:50:21,480 they're just like everywhere and darting all over the place. 953 00:50:21,680 --> 00:50:25,480 They it's understanding that there just has to be that 954 00:50:25,480 --> 00:50:29,000 understanding of like, Hey, we, you know, we got to we got 955 00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:32,040 things to do, we got to go, you know, we have a full schedule 956 00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:35,200 compared to, you know, a lot of the people that are here now. 957 00:50:35,200 --> 00:50:38,160 There are some, like I said, who can relate to people who work at 958 00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:43,160 demos, do demos, but they work for four, five hours, maybe 959 00:50:43,160 --> 00:50:45,680 something like that. Yeah, let's, let's talk about 960 00:50:45,680 --> 00:50:48,600 the contract labor in the vendor hall for a minute. 961 00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:52,120 This is this is an issue. This is an issue that's really 962 00:50:52,240 --> 00:50:55,280 important to me because a lot of my friends do this. 963 00:50:55,360 --> 00:50:59,160 And if you listen to the Origins recap episode with Chris Preston 964 00:50:59,280 --> 00:51:01,360 just a few weeks ago, that's what he did. 965 00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:03,000 And he'll be doing this at Gen. Con. 966 00:51:03,200 --> 00:51:06,240 So when you're in the vendor hall and you're going from booth 967 00:51:06,240 --> 00:51:10,320 to booth, the individuals who are teaching you the demo game, 968 00:51:10,680 --> 00:51:14,000 be patient with them. They don't work for the 969 00:51:14,000 --> 00:51:16,800 publisher. They are not the designers. 970 00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:19,880 They had no hand in any of that. So maybe they don't know the 971 00:51:19,880 --> 00:51:22,960 game as well as you might like. I mean, they, they do a little 972 00:51:22,960 --> 00:51:26,120 training ahead of time, but just be a little patient and kind. 973 00:51:26,120 --> 00:51:30,040 They're probably only being paid in a free badge. 974 00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:33,040 Sometimes they've got an hourly wage, and these are the people 975 00:51:33,040 --> 00:51:35,240 who are working four or five hours and that's it. 976 00:51:35,720 --> 00:51:37,240 But they're just like you and me. 977 00:51:37,400 --> 00:51:40,760 But they can't fund fully Gen. Con. 978 00:51:40,760 --> 00:51:44,280 And the only way to do it is to essentially get contract their 979 00:51:44,280 --> 00:51:47,720 time out. So be gracious and be sure to 980 00:51:47,720 --> 00:51:49,240 thank them when the demo is over. 981 00:51:49,440 --> 00:51:51,360 Show them gratitude for their time. 982 00:51:51,800 --> 00:51:54,120 Yeah. It's really, it's really 983 00:51:54,120 --> 00:51:58,480 interesting because like they may not have the skill that some 984 00:51:58,480 --> 00:52:01,520 people do with cells. Like there are people, there are 985 00:52:01,520 --> 00:52:05,200 people who I've seen that are small publishers and they'll 986 00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:09,360 have a booth and there's one guy who strictly just sells for the 987 00:52:09,360 --> 00:52:13,560 booth and he can sell anything that he could, you know, he 988 00:52:13,600 --> 00:52:15,680 could he could sell the shirt off of his back. 989 00:52:15,680 --> 00:52:17,640 Like he talked that good to, you know. 990 00:52:17,640 --> 00:52:21,840 And so then then you have people who who are probably they 991 00:52:21,840 --> 00:52:24,200 probably just just got there the day before. 992 00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:26,560 They probably just learned how to play the game. 993 00:52:26,760 --> 00:52:30,600 They just so there's a lot of people who you have to really 994 00:52:30,600 --> 00:52:33,600 just kind of kind of sense how they are. 995 00:52:33,760 --> 00:52:37,880 You know, if they if and as well showing that graciousness of 996 00:52:38,120 --> 00:52:41,000 hey, you know, you may not know the game. 997 00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:45,440 You might be and you might be just contracted out. 998 00:52:45,520 --> 00:52:49,080 I agree with you 100%. It's just they just, you know, 999 00:52:49,120 --> 00:52:54,240 they're just there to help out, to have gotten that badge and 1000 00:52:54,240 --> 00:52:56,160 they and they're more than happy to help out. 1001 00:52:56,240 --> 00:52:58,320 Otherwise they wouldn't exactly exactly. 1002 00:52:58,920 --> 00:53:02,240 But they probably just learned the game the day before and they 1003 00:53:02,240 --> 00:53:06,120 probably don't have their pitch down of how to properly play. 1004 00:53:06,160 --> 00:53:10,480 And there's a there's a whole dynamic of that PJ, you know, if 1005 00:53:10,480 --> 00:53:13,480 you if you don't, you know, if you don't, There's just some 1006 00:53:13,480 --> 00:53:17,040 part of that where it's definitely figuring that out of 1007 00:53:17,040 --> 00:53:21,640 how you can definitely be able to proceed with that and be able 1008 00:53:21,640 --> 00:53:24,400 to move forward and be able to help in the regards. 1009 00:53:24,400 --> 00:53:28,000 Because they are in a sense, a salesperson for the company 1010 00:53:28,000 --> 00:53:30,600 during that weekend. They're teaching how to play. 1011 00:53:31,040 --> 00:53:35,000 The thing is, is they're not skilled in that. 1012 00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:38,120 They are just there because they got a free hotel or badge or. 1013 00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:40,480 Right. Whatever that it might be, 1014 00:53:40,760 --> 00:53:44,160 definitely being open with that. So I agree with you 100%. 1015 00:53:44,280 --> 00:53:47,600 There's also, you hit on it there for a moment when we were 1016 00:53:47,600 --> 00:53:51,480 talking about all the different things to do at Gencon Is also 1017 00:53:51,480 --> 00:53:53,960 for those of you who've never been to Gencon, there's cosplay 1018 00:53:54,040 --> 00:53:57,400 and there's a whole etiquette behind that as well. 1019 00:53:57,440 --> 00:53:59,480 And I think Gen. Con's got a web on their 1020 00:53:59,480 --> 00:54:01,480 website. It talks about that etiquette, 1021 00:54:01,480 --> 00:54:04,520 especially dealing with cosplayers asking for permission 1022 00:54:04,520 --> 00:54:09,120 to take a photo of them or with them, be kind to them. 1023 00:54:09,120 --> 00:54:12,480 They will be standing off to the side in the concourse within a 1024 00:54:12,480 --> 00:54:15,040 taped off area. And then there's a parade on 1025 00:54:15,040 --> 00:54:17,320 Saturday. I think there's like a cosplay. 1026 00:54:17,560 --> 00:54:21,320 There's like a parade of all the cosplayers leading up to the the 1027 00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:23,640 contest, right? And there's so there's so much 1028 00:54:23,640 --> 00:54:25,640 going on, it's hard to know all of it. 1029 00:54:26,000 --> 00:54:27,560 Right? Yeah. 100%. 1030 00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:30,480 It is crazy, but that's what I'm here for. 1031 00:54:31,080 --> 00:54:33,120 Of course. Is to learn it all. 1032 00:54:33,840 --> 00:54:35,560 Yeah, exactly. That's what we're here. 1033 00:54:35,560 --> 00:54:37,960 We're here to give them everything they know on this 1034 00:54:37,960 --> 00:54:41,120 podcast. But it's, I think, I think I 1035 00:54:41,120 --> 00:54:45,000 agree 100%. You definitely have to have that 1036 00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:49,720 boundary of respect to ask someone if you can take a photo 1037 00:54:49,720 --> 00:54:51,640 of them or take a photo with them. 1038 00:54:51,640 --> 00:54:53,440 And I think I think that's really cool. 1039 00:54:53,760 --> 00:54:56,160 They have a lot of I'm just, I'm just a nerd. 1040 00:54:56,280 --> 00:54:58,440 There's a lot of anime cosplaying. 1041 00:54:58,440 --> 00:55:00,960 I love it. It's I had just started, I 1042 00:55:00,960 --> 00:55:05,080 remember last year, last year, I had started really watching one 1043 00:55:05,080 --> 00:55:08,800 of my favorite shows, One Piece and, and there was a guy dressed 1044 00:55:08,800 --> 00:55:12,480 as there was a couple of people dressed as the characters of it. 1045 00:55:12,480 --> 00:55:14,800 And I just happened to run into the guy who's like my favorite 1046 00:55:14,800 --> 00:55:16,080 character. And I was like, I love your 1047 00:55:16,080 --> 00:55:17,760 cosplay. Thank you so much. 1048 00:55:17,760 --> 00:55:20,960 Like that is so cool. And so, and it's it because 1049 00:55:21,000 --> 00:55:23,600 like, and they appreciate that whenever you stop by and you 1050 00:55:23,600 --> 00:55:26,040 just simply say that because that's what I love about 1051 00:55:26,040 --> 00:55:29,560 following cosplayers on social media is you don't see the work 1052 00:55:29,560 --> 00:55:33,040 that goes behind everything. Yeah, there's there's a lot of 1053 00:55:33,040 --> 00:55:36,800 things in that regard, but 100% definitely ask them if you can 1054 00:55:36,800 --> 00:55:38,680 take a picture of them or with. Yep. 1055 00:55:38,880 --> 00:55:41,440 And you know, it's funny. I'm the worst. 1056 00:55:41,560 --> 00:55:45,040 I'm the worst at photographs. And by worst, I don't mean I 1057 00:55:45,040 --> 00:55:47,640 don't follow my advice. I forget to take pictures. 1058 00:55:47,640 --> 00:55:49,240 I'm so happy to see you. Like you. 1059 00:55:49,640 --> 00:55:51,600 You and I have never taken a picture together. 1060 00:55:51,800 --> 00:55:53,840 Like we see each other. We give each other a hug, we 1061 00:55:53,840 --> 00:55:55,880 chat and move on. Origins. 1062 00:55:56,040 --> 00:55:57,880 I didn't take a picture with anybody. 1063 00:55:57,880 --> 00:56:02,760 I am just. I am the worst because I'm so 1064 00:56:02,880 --> 00:56:05,240 I'm so in the moment. Cassidy. 1065 00:56:05,240 --> 00:56:08,200 Cassidy and I talked about this last weeks episode. 1066 00:56:08,240 --> 00:56:11,480 I'm in the moment and present with you that I don't even think 1067 00:56:11,480 --> 00:56:13,040 about. Well, I got to take that picture 1068 00:56:13,040 --> 00:56:15,960 and let's get a selfie. And then I kicked myself forward 1069 00:56:15,960 --> 00:56:17,320 afterwards. I'm like, oh man. 1070 00:56:18,520 --> 00:56:22,320 No, no, I get that 100%. Like like that's The funny thing 1071 00:56:22,320 --> 00:56:26,000 is I don't have hardly any pictures with anybody that I've 1072 00:56:26,160 --> 00:56:28,600 gone to these conventions with. There's a couple of them and 1073 00:56:28,600 --> 00:56:31,920 most of them being either Co workers or anything like that. 1074 00:56:31,920 --> 00:56:35,800 And this at Origins, I took a picture with a buddy of mine and 1075 00:56:35,880 --> 00:56:37,840 it was just because we were just being funny. 1076 00:56:37,840 --> 00:56:41,080 And he said, Hey, let's text, let's text our friend who isn't 1077 00:56:41,080 --> 00:56:43,800 here and just send pictures like our mutual friend. 1078 00:56:43,840 --> 00:56:46,640 And it was just, it was just funny because we were, we were 1079 00:56:46,840 --> 00:56:50,920 he, he came in for a short period of time and he needed a 1080 00:56:50,920 --> 00:56:53,920 place to stay. And I was like, yeah, I have an 1081 00:56:53,920 --> 00:56:56,440 extra bed, you know, in my Airbnb. 1082 00:56:56,520 --> 00:56:58,720 Come on. And so he came, he stayed and 1083 00:56:58,720 --> 00:57:01,320 everything, but we were chilling on the couch and he said, Hey, 1084 00:57:01,320 --> 00:57:04,560 let's send this picture before we go to dinner and everything. 1085 00:57:04,560 --> 00:57:07,040 And so we're just chilling on the couch and we just sent 1086 00:57:07,040 --> 00:57:10,360 pictures and, and to him. And it was, it was, it was just 1087 00:57:10,360 --> 00:57:12,000 funny. It was a, it was a good time. 1088 00:57:12,000 --> 00:57:14,200 But but it's like hey you're missing out because you're not 1089 00:57:14,280 --> 00:57:16,680 right type of thing. No, I get that. 1090 00:57:16,680 --> 00:57:21,440 I get that completely. I don't mind trying to elicit a 1091 00:57:21,440 --> 00:57:24,800 sense of FOMO from like a close personal friend. 1092 00:57:24,800 --> 00:57:29,360 I hope my content when it comes out, when I'm at a convention, 1093 00:57:29,520 --> 00:57:32,640 I'm not trying to make my listeners and subscribers feel 1094 00:57:32,640 --> 00:57:34,960 FOMO. What I'm trying to do in my 1095 00:57:34,960 --> 00:57:37,000 mind, I'm thinking myself as an ambassador. 1096 00:57:37,080 --> 00:57:38,640 I want you to feel like you're a part of it. 1097 00:57:38,640 --> 00:57:42,040 So I'm going to walk the vendor floor with you or I hope I'm 1098 00:57:42,040 --> 00:57:45,440 sharing that and not making you feel like you're missing out. 1099 00:57:45,680 --> 00:57:49,480 We'll see how successful I am at it though. 1100 00:57:49,760 --> 00:57:54,120 Well, thing I think overall it's it's it's definitely we don't 1101 00:57:54,120 --> 00:57:56,480 need to make sure that they feel FOMO. 1102 00:57:56,480 --> 00:57:58,120 And that's, and that's another thing as well. 1103 00:57:58,120 --> 00:58:01,800 Like like, I don't, I don't really know the best way to say 1104 00:58:01,800 --> 00:58:04,520 this to you, PJ. But when it when it comes to 1105 00:58:04,520 --> 00:58:07,600 going to places like Gen. Con or any of these conventions 1106 00:58:07,600 --> 00:58:10,400 and stuff like that, I never really feel any FOMO. 1107 00:58:11,000 --> 00:58:13,760 OK, and maybe maybe that's because I'm in the mindset of 1108 00:58:13,800 --> 00:58:16,080 I'm here to work. If I get a chance to talk about 1109 00:58:16,080 --> 00:58:19,520 my content or even just play a game, I'm happy of it. 1110 00:58:19,760 --> 00:58:24,560 But it's just the fact of, Hey, I don't necessarily like really 1111 00:58:24,560 --> 00:58:27,720 feel that in the sense of in the sense of FOMO. 1112 00:58:27,720 --> 00:58:32,200 I would say, you know, I would say it's more of that like, Hey, 1113 00:58:32,200 --> 00:58:36,680 I PJ, I didn't see it Origins. I wish I would have you know, I 1114 00:58:36,840 --> 00:58:40,760 guess that's my FOMO is missing out on seeing friends or sure, 1115 00:58:40,760 --> 00:58:42,520 spending time things of that nature. 1116 00:58:42,600 --> 00:58:46,040 I never I never when it comes to like these events and things 1117 00:58:46,040 --> 00:58:48,040 like that. I'm like, I'll be I'll be OK. 1118 00:58:48,560 --> 00:58:51,120 I mean, don't you know, Hey, you know, we can buy this game 1119 00:58:51,120 --> 00:58:55,120 later, you know, Yep, you know, because because assuming, 1120 00:58:55,120 --> 00:58:59,080 assuming that these companies are wanting to have a good, 1121 00:58:59,080 --> 00:59:03,200 profitable, profitable business, though, make they'll print more 1122 00:59:03,240 --> 00:59:06,240 and have right and have some sort of website you can purchase 1123 00:59:06,240 --> 00:59:07,840 it off of or something of that nature. 1124 00:59:07,840 --> 00:59:08,600 So. Exactly. 1125 00:59:09,000 --> 00:59:12,440 For me, that's that's the that's the biggest thing is like, you 1126 00:59:12,440 --> 00:59:15,520 know, if it's really cool, I can get this later. 1127 00:59:15,520 --> 00:59:18,680 It's a different mindset. And I feel, I feel weird saying 1128 00:59:18,680 --> 00:59:21,720 that and I wish, I wish I wouldn't instill that into 1129 00:59:21,720 --> 00:59:25,200 anybody whatsoever. But yeah, I can understand when 1130 00:59:25,200 --> 00:59:27,280 someone would get FOMO at a convention. 1131 00:59:27,280 --> 00:59:29,680 Sure, absolutely. I wish I could relate. 1132 00:59:29,720 --> 00:59:32,160 I just can't, PJ. No, I get it. 1133 00:59:32,200 --> 00:59:34,840 I totally get it. The only convention, honestly, 1134 00:59:34,840 --> 00:59:39,480 the only convention that I feel that missing out is the UKGE. 1135 00:59:39,480 --> 00:59:43,840 And yeah, it's the only one. So when people go to Tantrum Con 1136 00:59:43,840 --> 00:59:48,960 or they go to Board Game Geek or Dice Tower West or PAX 1137 00:59:48,960 --> 00:59:51,600 Unplugged, I don't I'm like, great. 1138 00:59:51,600 --> 00:59:53,440 I'm so glad everyone's having a good time. 1139 00:59:53,440 --> 00:59:57,040 Genuinely, that is what I feel. It's UKGE that's unique to me 1140 00:59:57,040 --> 00:59:59,960 because I've owned. It's because of the people, 1141 00:59:59,960 --> 01:00:02,200 right? And it's people that I've a lot 1142 01:00:02,200 --> 01:00:06,040 of them I finally got to meet in person last year in England. 1143 01:00:06,040 --> 01:00:09,320 And so that's really great. And I'm like, I want to be there 1144 01:00:09,320 --> 01:00:12,960 with y'all, you know? And sometimes I'm like, yeah, I 1145 01:00:12,960 --> 01:00:15,520 weep. Maybe next year, fingers 1146 01:00:15,520 --> 01:00:16,320 crossed. Maybe. 1147 01:00:16,480 --> 01:00:19,480 Next year UKGE. I have AI. 1148 01:00:19,520 --> 01:00:21,680 OK, I need you to understand this. 1149 01:00:21,720 --> 01:00:25,960 My, my, my. So I just officiated a wedding 1150 01:00:25,960 --> 01:00:29,600 for a buddy of mine back in May and he asked me, he's like, we 1151 01:00:29,600 --> 01:00:31,400 were talking about travel and things like that. 1152 01:00:31,680 --> 01:00:34,760 He knows like how I travel and I travel very cheap. 1153 01:00:34,760 --> 01:00:38,240 He said, Drew, you will show up in a dog crate if you could, but 1154 01:00:39,000 --> 01:00:40,480 and I said, yeah, you're right. I would. 1155 01:00:40,720 --> 01:00:44,840 But no, I I do find ways to travel very cheap. 1156 01:00:45,040 --> 01:00:48,560 And so I'm doing the same same thing with Essen here in a 1157 01:00:48,560 --> 01:00:52,520 couple months, OK, fairly cheap flight to Essen. 1158 01:00:52,520 --> 01:00:55,840 If I could go back to UK Games Expo, I know exactly what 1159 01:00:55,840 --> 01:00:58,440 airline I would use. And, you know, and I'd probably 1160 01:00:58,440 --> 01:01:00,840 find a Airbnb. I'm not sure what the cost would 1161 01:01:00,840 --> 01:01:05,000 be. But yeah, I, I definitely, I 1162 01:01:05,000 --> 01:01:08,120 definitely. I understand that. 1163 01:01:08,280 --> 01:01:11,720 I look, I understand that. I understand that all too well. 1164 01:01:11,720 --> 01:01:14,440 So if you so you're gonna be at Essen this year, is that that's 1165 01:01:14,440 --> 01:01:16,080 what you're saying? That's what I've been told. 1166 01:01:16,120 --> 01:01:20,200 I was told that. That's what I was told back. 1167 01:01:20,560 --> 01:01:26,520 So typically around Essen after Essen is when I have the idea of 1168 01:01:26,520 --> 01:01:30,720 like what I'm doing somewhere between Essen and January. 1169 01:01:30,760 --> 01:01:33,480 So every Jane. So let me let me give you this. 1170 01:01:33,480 --> 01:01:35,160 Let me let me give you this. Let me tell you why. 1171 01:01:35,160 --> 01:01:37,400 OK. So that's when my whole team is 1172 01:01:37,400 --> 01:01:42,520 together. And so SN is usually when we're 1173 01:01:42,520 --> 01:01:46,320 all together and then I travel to China to tour the factory and 1174 01:01:46,320 --> 01:01:48,120 celebrate Chinese New Year with my team. 1175 01:01:48,160 --> 01:01:51,440 And so that's typically when they tell us like which ones 1176 01:01:51,440 --> 01:01:53,640 were going to of that of that nature. 1177 01:01:53,640 --> 01:01:56,800 And last year I found out at Essen last year, they said we're 1178 01:01:56,800 --> 01:01:59,240 just go to the same ones in 2025. 1179 01:01:59,240 --> 01:02:05,240 I said, OK, so all right, it's Gamma, Origins, Gen. 1180 01:02:05,240 --> 01:02:08,160 Con, Essen, Pax. Unplug those 5. 1181 01:02:08,160 --> 01:02:09,760 There you go. So OK. 1182 01:02:09,760 --> 01:02:12,800 So I already knew like my marching orders for for this 1183 01:02:12,840 --> 01:02:15,200 year, that's what I was told last year, whether or not that 1184 01:02:15,200 --> 01:02:16,680 changes just. Depends. 1185 01:02:17,840 --> 01:02:21,640 So here, here's what I would say make sure that you somehow 1186 01:02:21,640 --> 01:02:23,520 pencil it in. If you're definitely going to 1187 01:02:23,520 --> 01:02:27,200 Essen, let me know because Gareth will be at Essen for the 1188 01:02:27,200 --> 01:02:29,280 first time. And if you haven't, you should 1189 01:02:29,280 --> 01:02:30,840 meet Gareth at least once, because. 1190 01:02:31,000 --> 01:02:32,920 I would love to, yeah, yeah, absolutely. 1191 01:02:33,400 --> 01:02:35,360 He will be there, so that'll be exciting. 1192 01:02:35,360 --> 01:02:39,000 So hopefully we'll get some live content for the podcast for 1193 01:02:39,000 --> 01:02:40,120 that, but we'll see what happens. 1194 01:02:40,240 --> 01:02:41,960 That's what you had me do two years ago. 1195 01:02:41,960 --> 01:02:45,840 I was I, I remember I was joking and I said, when are you gonna 1196 01:02:45,840 --> 01:02:48,680 I, I remember I messaged you and I said, when are you gonna 1197 01:02:48,680 --> 01:02:52,640 actually have me on the podcast? Like just a, not just a clip of 1198 01:02:52,640 --> 01:02:55,040 me. Here we are two years later so. 1199 01:02:55,040 --> 01:02:57,040 I know, I know, I know. I'm. 1200 01:02:57,200 --> 01:02:58,840 Joking. It's I'm joking, BJE. 1201 01:02:58,880 --> 01:03:03,200 I got to say, it's been it's been an interesting year for the 1202 01:03:03,200 --> 01:03:06,480 Maple to Maple podcast. Obviously Gareth's been on 1203 01:03:06,480 --> 01:03:10,040 sabbatical since January and I didn't know, I didn't know what 1204 01:03:10,040 --> 01:03:12,120 I was going to do, right? I had no idea. 1205 01:03:12,320 --> 01:03:16,600 And now the momentum is just, I mean, I've got stuff, I've got a 1206 01:03:16,600 --> 01:03:20,080 series coming up. I've got some great interviews. 1207 01:03:20,080 --> 01:03:24,040 Come, I got man, it's it's it's somewhat overwhelming. 1208 01:03:24,040 --> 01:03:26,680 It's both exhilarating and overwhelming at the same. 1209 01:03:26,920 --> 01:03:29,000 There's just so many things going on and I'm like, man. 1210 01:03:29,000 --> 01:03:32,560 What a beautiful connection of the where, where they just 1211 01:03:32,560 --> 01:03:35,360 intersect with one another where it's like it's overwhelming, but 1212 01:03:35,360 --> 01:03:38,160 you're excited and there's a lot of that's what I love to hear. 1213 01:03:38,160 --> 01:03:40,680 I love to hear when people are excited about the content that 1214 01:03:40,680 --> 01:03:41,720 they're creating and that they're. 1215 01:03:41,720 --> 01:03:44,840 Working exactly. That's awesome. 1216 01:03:45,080 --> 01:03:49,200 So my final question to you is one piece of advice, vital piece 1217 01:03:49,200 --> 01:03:51,840 of advice for a first time goer of Gen. 1218 01:03:51,840 --> 01:03:53,360 Con. What would you tell him? 1219 01:03:54,120 --> 01:03:56,360 This is a good one. Yeah, maybe a little stump there 1220 01:03:56,360 --> 01:04:00,800 cuz I really wanna my gut is saying, my gut is saying have 1221 01:04:00,800 --> 01:04:05,000 fun. But but the topic of the 1222 01:04:05,000 --> 01:04:07,960 podcast, I did want to correlate to that. 1223 01:04:08,080 --> 01:04:10,680 OK. And so if you don't mind, it'll 1224 01:04:10,680 --> 01:04:13,280 be two of them, two pieces of advice. 1225 01:04:13,320 --> 01:04:16,120 I'm perfectly good with you giving everyone 2 pieces of 1226 01:04:16,120 --> 01:04:18,240 advice. So here's my two cents. 1227 01:04:18,280 --> 01:04:24,000 Have fun and it will be OK. Simple is that it will be that. 1228 01:04:24,640 --> 01:04:28,840 I say that because you may feel like you're having FOMO to 1229 01:04:28,840 --> 01:04:31,240 something. Sure, you may feel overwhelmed 1230 01:04:31,240 --> 01:04:35,280 by the amount of people that are around you and the awful smells 1231 01:04:35,280 --> 01:04:38,560 that you'll be smelling and the tripping over carts that you'll 1232 01:04:38,560 --> 01:04:40,360 be having and things of that nature. 1233 01:04:40,360 --> 01:04:42,320 But it is fun. It is fun. 1234 01:04:42,360 --> 01:04:46,160 No matter no matter how much I have my grievances with Gen. 1235 01:04:46,160 --> 01:04:50,800 Com, whether that's business side, social anxiety side, the 1236 01:04:50,800 --> 01:04:53,640 busyness of it all, I still do enjoy it. 1237 01:04:53,640 --> 01:04:56,520 There is a part of me that does enjoy Gencom now. 1238 01:04:56,520 --> 01:05:00,040 I gripe about it all year long, but I don't like it. 1239 01:05:00,200 --> 01:05:02,240 But at the end of the day, it is a show. 1240 01:05:02,440 --> 01:05:04,000 It is where you're going to have fun. 1241 01:05:04,000 --> 01:05:08,480 And I do hope that everyone who does go looks back and says that 1242 01:05:08,480 --> 01:05:10,280 was fun. Yeah, I love it. 1243 01:05:10,280 --> 01:05:12,200 I hope that I love it. Yeah, I tried to. 1244 01:05:12,400 --> 01:05:14,720 No, I'm a PJ. I'm a simple man. 1245 01:05:14,720 --> 01:05:16,680 I'm a I'm a very you. Are a simple man. 1246 01:05:16,920 --> 01:05:20,120 So. I yeah, so I'm, you know what? 1247 01:05:20,120 --> 01:05:21,800 I got 2 pieces of advice as well. 1248 01:05:21,800 --> 01:05:23,840 We've distributed a lot of advice to you. 1249 01:05:23,840 --> 01:05:27,400 But if it's your first time going so #1 don't try to 1250 01:05:27,520 --> 01:05:29,880 overextend or over schedule yourself, right? 1251 01:05:30,120 --> 01:05:32,720 Just you know, this is connected, you're having fun, 1252 01:05:33,000 --> 01:05:35,600 but don't try to over schedule your day and drive yourself 1253 01:05:35,600 --> 01:05:39,800 insane and make sure you know, there's a lot of people that put 1254 01:05:39,800 --> 01:05:41,800 this together so that you can have fun. 1255 01:05:43,200 --> 01:05:46,480 Be be mindful of our our brothers and sisters out there 1256 01:05:46,480 --> 01:05:50,280 like Drew and others who are demoing games, who are manning 1257 01:05:50,280 --> 01:05:53,640 booths, who are at the concession stands trying to get 1258 01:05:53,640 --> 01:05:58,240 you that burger in a reasonable time, who ran out of the 1259 01:05:58,240 --> 01:06:01,600 souvenir cups just as you walked up so that you could get your 1260 01:06:01,840 --> 01:06:03,960 $2.00 refills for the rest of the weekend. 1261 01:06:04,200 --> 01:06:07,120 Just I say this at the every time and close every episode. 1262 01:06:07,120 --> 01:06:10,600 Just remember, be kind to everyone and play more games. 1263 01:06:10,720 --> 01:06:14,040 That's that's it guys. Thanks for listening, Drew. 1264 01:06:14,040 --> 01:06:16,040 Thanks for joining me and having this conversation. 1265 01:06:16,040 --> 01:06:19,280 I really appreciate it. Yeah, PJ, thank you so much for 1266 01:06:19,280 --> 01:06:23,040 allowing me to be here. I I do want to say I genuinely 1267 01:06:23,040 --> 01:06:25,560 enjoyed this and I hope that we can do it again someday. 1268 01:06:25,560 --> 01:06:29,240 Absolutely tell everyone where they could find you on all the 1269 01:06:29,240 --> 01:06:31,680 socials and continue to follow your content. 1270 01:06:31,760 --> 01:06:35,440 Absolutely. So my my name through social 1271 01:06:35,440 --> 01:06:38,680 media is welcome to boredom and that is welcome. 1272 01:06:38,680 --> 01:06:42,600 And then the number 2 and then boredom as in board game. 1273 01:06:43,080 --> 01:06:45,440 So yeah, you find me through there. 1274 01:06:45,640 --> 01:06:49,200 I post how to play videos over on YouTube as well. 1275 01:06:49,200 --> 01:06:53,000 I do interviews at these shows, which is one thing that you can 1276 01:06:53,000 --> 01:06:55,160 also see, especially with Jen, I'm coming up. 1277 01:06:55,160 --> 01:06:58,520 I'll have a few of those out. And then as well I just post 1278 01:06:58,520 --> 01:07:00,400 silly board game related content. 1279 01:07:00,640 --> 01:07:04,600 Sometimes I do unboxing, sometimes I whatever feels right 1280 01:07:04,600 --> 01:07:06,800 to be as well. I have memes and just have fun 1281 01:07:06,800 --> 01:07:09,520 on my social media. So I don't take it as seriously 1282 01:07:09,520 --> 01:07:12,920 as some people do. And I just, I just enjoy having 1283 01:07:12,920 --> 01:07:15,160 fun. So feel free to give me a follow 1284 01:07:15,160 --> 01:07:19,280 on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, wherever it is that you feel 1285 01:07:19,280 --> 01:07:21,520 comfortable on whatever platform you use the most. 1286 01:07:21,640 --> 01:07:23,800 There you go there you go. Thanks guys. 1287 01:07:23,800 --> 01:07:26,280 Don't forget to hit that like and subscribe button. 1288 01:07:26,480 --> 01:07:30,440 We have 80 subscribers. We're 20 more to go need 100 by 1289 01:07:30,440 --> 01:07:32,200 October. One year anniversary of our 1290 01:07:32,200 --> 01:07:34,160 YouTube channel. We just celebrated our 1291 01:07:34,160 --> 01:07:36,280 three-year anniversary of the podcast. 1292 01:07:36,280 --> 01:07:38,080 So that's that's. Graduation. 1293 01:07:38,280 --> 01:07:39,160 Yeah. Thank you. 1294 01:07:39,240 --> 01:07:42,360 So, yeah, things are going. So we need those subscribers 1295 01:07:42,360 --> 01:07:45,120 make sure like and subscribe and once again be kind to one 1296 01:07:45,120 --> 01:07:46,480 another and play more games.