\"Talk to strangers, talk to locals, and don't be afraid to go off the beaten path\".
In this episode of Cultural Combos, we sat down with Ryan \"ConvictedOfFun\" Mejia, founder of the SoFloDojo and likely holding down the Command Center at a major near you. Ryan believes in taking the \"Bourdain-esque\" approach not only in food, but community organization and event logistics. The FGC was how he broke out of his shell and started to travel, even pulling up to Philly/King of Prussia for NEC 16 with the rest of the South Florida crew. For most, tournaments in the FGC are simply about competition for competition's sake; but for Ryan; we're in the business of making memories and being forward-facing customer service. A story from an anonymous user on 4Chan about their positive CEO experience with getting help, experiencing kindness and making friends resonated with him, reinforcing that the thing he loves most about the community; is the community.
\"I love making people's weekends, making sure they had a good time, and just making people happy. Like, if we wanna get technical about it, this is hospitality. It's so easy to not be a dick at these, so easy. There's always someone who might be a little rude, maybe a little standoffish, but we can be better. We should always strive to be better.\"
Fighting games are simply the medium, but this episode has plenty of gems for daily life, love, and how your outlook on the world can change when you lead with finding beauty in the differences. Don't just take my word for it, take a listen and hear it for yourself from the man himself.
Keep up with Ryan on socials:
and don't forget to check out the SoFloDojo!