We’ve all wondered what it would be like to live the life of a Hollywood A-lister/superstar athlete, or “find a nest in the hills, and chill like Flint” as that epic poet Kid Rock so eloquently described it. After my “Daxko – Sports Science” video was launched and went viral following our annual Kick-off event, I can tell you that the life of a superstar is hard work. Okay, so maybe 167 views isn’t exactly “viral” – but that’s a lot of people. And… there’s no way to know if just 1 person watched my video, or if 1 person just played the video while 100 other people were standing behind them observing. None the less, here’s just a few things to beware of should you one day become an internet sensation like myself.

1. Make time for the little people – At least 1 out of every 7-10 days I get stopped on my way to the bathroom with “Chris, will you puuuulease sign my kick-off name badge”. Look, my time is valuable. I’ve got a workout plan that is very demanding, a diet that I’m required to stick to at least one week out of the month, and that’s not including the 5 minutes a week I have to spend with my new publicist. But I know how I got here and it wasn’t completely based on me running my own video count up, it’s because of the fans. I always sign those badges with a smile because I know this may not last long and I want to savor every part of it.
2. Remember your roots – I’m not going to lie, turning down SNL wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done. No one likes to crush the hopes and dreams of an established TV producer who is tossing more cash around than Lloyd Christmas did after the suitcase busted open. I mean, I’ve got a family to think about and we could have put that $27.00 to good use. I’m smart enough to know that you can’t just take the first offer that comes your way. Besides, I don’t want to end up looking like I just finished 9th on American Idol. I know how I got here and just because YouTube was a launching pad for Justin Bieber doesn’t mean it will be for me. Slow and easy, slow and easy – that’s my motto and it’s going to take more than $27.00 to make me forget that.
3. Don’t get too big for your britches – That’s right Hollywood, I said it. Our company is growing at a pretty incredible rate and that certainly presents some challenges to all of us. For example, I don’t know everyone’s name, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t know mine. Our Impact Services team consists of several part-time team members. Sometimes in the afternoons, they’ll be in DaxPark or The Garage getting something to drink and getting ready for work. Ever since my new found fame, I will often get this look of “I’ve seen you somewhere before, but I’m not sure where because you look skinnier in person.” They are right,  I do look a little more trim in person because we shot the video with a wide angle lens. Then it hits them and the confused look turns into “Ohhhhhhhhh, it’s the guy from the video, do you think he knows me? Should I introduce myself? What if he thinks I’m a YouTube stalker? I don’t know what to do.” I want all those people to know that I’m just a regular guy. Yeah, I’m a little bit of a bigger deal than I used to be and I’m a movie star now and all – but that doesn’t mean I’m not approachable. Just because Dave is spending more time at my desk watching the video with me doesn’t make me better than anyone else. I’m just a regular guy and if you want to say hello to me, that certainly won’t bother me – just try to keep the convo under about 13 seconds, if you don’t mind.

So there you have it. A little free advice from a guy who really should be charging for it by now. In all seriousness, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed my first Daxko Kick-off. It’s great to work for a company that values their team members, and makes sure that they have a platform to voice their opinion about the past and the future. Thanks to everyone that was involved in making it such a great event, and thanks for allowing me to have a little fun, even if it meant me making fun of myself to make it happen.

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