A risky move that paid off
Last year (phew, still brushing off that 2019 feeling), Ninja made a risky move by jumping ship from Twitch to join Mixer.
According to Jessica Blevins, the streamer's wife and manager, this was because Twitch would not allow Ninja to pursue opportunities outside of gaming, thus stifling further growth of the Ninja brand that they've been cultivating for years.
"With the wording of how that contract was going, he wouldn't have been able to grow his brand much outside of gaming. There were already conflicts with his current sponsors and resigning with that platform. And we were like, 'Straight up, guys, we've worked so, so hard to grow the Ninja brand to license things and get his name out there. We can't go backwards with it.' So that's where that deal just really started not making sense."
That calculated leap seems to have paid off. In August last year, Ninja announced his partnership with Adidas, and unveiled their first collaborative shoe design - the 'Time In' Nite Jogger - in December.
And despite fellow streamer DrDisrespect taking a few potshots at the shoes' design, it was definitely a hit, with all adult sizes selling out in a mere 40 minutes.
The 'Time In' Nite Jogger features a sporty blue and yellow colour scheme with Ninja's logo emblazoned on one side, and the words 'Time In' on the other.
But what does 'Time In' mean?
'Time In' is a testament to the hard work Ninja put in before hitting his big break. Before becoming a global sensation and streaming celebrities, Tyler Blevins was just another aspiring streamer who spent 20,000 hours in front of the screen preparing for the limelight.
Basically, what it means is that achievements don't happen by coincidence - they happen because of the late nights and early mornings put in.
Or as he so aptly put it: Never let anyone tell you that you can’t catch your dreams. Choose your path. Put the TIME IN.
Wah, so inspiring :') I'm all fired up to chase my Wawasan 2020 dreams now!
