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Steven Galanis knew from the start that he was once now not minimize out to satisfy somebody else’s imaginative and prescient. Referred to as “the Mayor” since kindergarten, Galanis has all the time had a knack for bringing folks in combination – one thing that might be core to each his first entrepreneurial project, Spartan Leisure, and his 2nd, Cameo.
Cameo
Earlier than Cameo, the leisure business gated get right of entry to for fanatics, forcing them to line up behind the curtain for an autograph, attend meet and greets, or simply be in the suitable position on the proper time. With Cameo, Galanis and his crew have created greater than 4 million magical moments in folks’s lives via connecting skill to their largest fanatics in a frictionless, virtual revel in.
Celebrating the corporate’s 5 12 months anniversary, Galanis stocks his entrepreneurial adventure, the magic of connections and why you will have to all the time wager on your self earlier than somebody else does.
The School Hustle
Even supposing he carried this entrepreneurial spirit with him from adolescence, Galanis’ first style of trade possession got here at Duke College. Galanis discovered that the occasions on campus have been unique to more than a few golf equipment and fraternities. This sparked an concept for Galanis. Together with his trade spouse, Galanis sought after to create occasions that any one may just attend, bringing folks in combination and fostering connections. From this conviction, Spartan Leisure was once born.
The duo partnered with native bars to host occasions for all Duke scholars. Noticing there wasn’t an evening that athletes may just attend events, the duo threw occasions on Wednesdays to permit scholar athletes to practice the 48-hour sobriety protocol previous to a recreation. From there, the trade grew into t-shirts, DJ apparatus leases or even a sizzling canine stand. To this present day, Wednesdays in Durham are nonetheless the largest day for events and their legacy is weaved all the way through the campus.
Galanis graduated from Duke in 2010, smack in the course of a recession, however had a blossoming hobby for developing and proudly owning a trade of his personal. He was once merely looking forward to the suitable thought, the suitable alternative and the suitable time. After touchdown a role with the Chicago Board of Business, Galanis discovered temporarily that he didn’t need his good fortune to be tied down via somebody else’s choices. He sought after to be calling the photographs.
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The “Magic” of Connections
Galanis understood the significance of making connections at an early age. An athlete and sports activities lover, Galanis’ circle of relatives all the time had sports activities memorabilia displayed of their houses. One explicit image stays essentially the most valuable.
Galanis was once 8 months previous when the Lakers gained the 1988 championship. On holiday together with his circle of relatives in Hawaii, his grandparents noticed Magic Johnson and insisted that the basketball legend take a photograph with toddler Galanis. His grandmother plopped him on Johnson’s lap and snapped the picture. After temporarily creating the picture and operating again, Johnson wouldn’t signal it. He was once on holiday in spite of everything.
Years later in Chicago, Magic held an tournament signing autographs and Galanis was once requested to wait via some pals. He pulled Magic apart, and confirmed the picture from many years previous. Whilst Johnson slightly recalled the instant, this time, he signed the picture.
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Having a bet on Your self
After his grandmother’s funeral, Galanis was once riding together with his good friend and long term co-founder Martin Blencowe. Blencowe, an NFL agent on the time, confirmed Galanis a video of his consumer, Seattle Seahawks linebacker Cassius Marsh, congratulating a pal at the start of his son. Galanis idea again to his revel in with Magic, and checked out this video, and the pair were given considering: the selfie is the brand new autograph.
After bringing on former Vine big name Devon Townsend as a 3rd co-founder, the crew advanced this concept additional with the project of making connections between the arena’s largest celebrities and their fanatics. After beginning the corporate as a facet hustle with Blencowe as an NFL agent, Galanis, a senior account govt at Linkedin, and Townsend running as an engineer, they needed to take the danger on themselves and give up their jobs.
Cameo formally introduced in March 2017 and it couldn’t have long gone worse with a web site that didn’t paintings and no web site visitors. This is till their first acquire: a father soliciting for a video for his daughter. He despatched again a response video of his daughter crying tears of pleasure and, on reflection, this was once the instant that modified the whole lot.
Rapid ahead to 2022, Cameo has a $1 billion valuation and greater than 50,000 skill at the platform. Galanis plans to proceed to diversify Cameo’s trade into extra reviews — products, Cameo Calls, Cameo Cares, Cameo Move and Cameo for Trade — all in provider of fostering essentially the most unique connections on earth. And, Magic Johnson now sits on their board.
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