We recently connected with Andy Andre and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Andy, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
Growing up with the feeling of having a questionable support system, I developed a competitive spirit where every aspect of life is a “game”. During my school years I excelled at multiple sports and was a part of many wins and losses. I learned how to focus on the root cause of a loss so I could perform better when put in the same situation. Knowing that even when you lose, there’s a learning experience that takes place. So for me, a win or lose, it’s a positive move where growth can be measured in one way or another.
I’ve had personal situations where people empathized with my perspective and are amazed at how I deal with negative outcomes. I am always optimistic that the “hand I am dealt” has a purposeful reason. It educates me to look at these situations and try to find the silver lining. I typically find the optimistic viewpoint. I lock onto the positive outlook, and feel if I were to focus on the negative, it would put me into a depressed state of mind that would then affect other areas of my life unintentionally.
I’ve observed people in my lifetime who are stuck in the victim mentality, they struggle with multiple areas of there life whether it be with their family, work, or financial situations. Knowing their stories make me want to not live that life so I keep a positive outlook to avoid the struggles I see other people go through. Almost like i’m learning from their mistakes.
So wanting to win in the entire “game” of life, is why I think I’m so optimistic.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Over the years, I’ve moved up the ranks of management by demonstrating the hands on approach. Always helping and trying to improve my team by any means possible. I am at the top of my profession with years of knowledge and understanding of the field service industry. I’ve managed many teams with a focus of long term growth for these individuals. Many of these people are still thriving today with different companies in multiple regions. I love to share my knowledge at solving problems. I like to think out and execute on every step of a process. Learning bits-n-pieces from other professionals and then molding them into my own process that yields maximum results. For the past 4 years as a side project, I have taken on a new challenge in the eSports industry as I have a passion for gaming and competing. I have been brought on as a partner of the Ultimate Endgamers League also known in short as UEL. My journey through the league has prepared me for future success as I genuinely went through a process to completely understand the entire landscape of the business. I started as a customer, next as a player, then an expansion team general manager. I learned all aspects of how teams function and operate.
I then moved over to the production side of things as a live commentator, and learned how to set up the live stream broadcast of the unique UEL multi game tournament. I have designed and built the current arena at the UEL located in Stafford, VA. The arena is now on its 3rd layout as it has evolved into what I am currently working on for the traveling stage when visiting different cities for future competitions. I was recently named the Chief Construction Officer of the UEL. We call our players “Endgamers”, the master of the art form of gaming. This is due to the 33 games we play in a single match. These players have to learn so many different skills to play these 5 genres of games. I’ve started to think with my journey through learning the business, I’ve done my own little bit of becoming an Endgamer.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Listen (even if you don’t agree) to others. Get in the weeds to really understand all areas of the business.
Learn the necessary skills. Never assume anything unless you have looked through the lense of every side of the business. You don’t not need to become the expert or top performer, but you need to understand the basic function of each department. This will help you guide or communicate with people in those areas in the future.
Being Approachable (even for the negatives) will give you opportunities to see where improvements can be made over time.
Partner with everyone and lead by example. When people see that you are constantly improving, it now raises the expectations from everyone else. Be careful to not make it look like you are competing with them, but rather working side by side as every business is only as good as the least best person in the organization.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Funding is the number one obstacle.
Currently trying to change the mindset of the gaming industry as a whole. This will take a large platform and following that will develop over time. During that time it will take funding to build all the pieces necessary to change the world’s perspective.
In my role, I need to execute on my specific tasks along with helping other areas of the business that keep us all aligned with the end game. Communication on the leadership team is vital. My skills do not bring the talent, but rather to sustain the talent when onboard. This gives the organization a good foundation when trying to recruit for funding.
If you are interested in helping to fund this ever growing community through advertising, purchasing a team, or possibly a developer looking to get your game played, please reach out and join this journey with me. We are where gamers go pro.
Contact Info:
- Website:Uelesports.com
- Instagram: Uel_the_doc
- Linkedin: Andy Andre
Image Credits
All images provided by Ultimate Endgamers League
