August 2020 Member Spotlight w/ KSI Slay

The News Team had the pleasure of interviewing KSI Slay from Demonic Mayhem. Slay is currently the General of Venom DM, a spot he’s earned this past month! He was kind enough to talk to us about his KSI journey thus far. Thank you for your time and insight as a leader in this sensational community!

What is the best part of being a General? And why?

I am new to being a general, it’s different being in charge of a squad it’s very overwhelming at times. But it’s comforting for me to be able to be there for the squad. Even with having family and having a life, being part of the squad and being there for them

What experiences have you had during your time in KSI? Any favorites?

I love having fun and being there, I am on every night except for when I fall asleep. The friends that I’ve made here are amazing, people like KSI Joe 7 are what make DM such a great place. My favorite moment so far would be when I became a general, I missed my promotion because texting my wife. So that’s something I got teased for but it was still amazing. Spirit Week was amazing and I was on the DM Minecraft Realm helping make it look nice, lots of thunder domes and KSI work. It was a great time and a fun bonding experience for the whole Division. 

In just one week I’ve been promoted to General of Venom DM, won the News’ So You Think You Can Write, and the August 2020 Member’s Spotlight. It’s been a pretty awesome week, to be frank.

What advice, if any, would you give to your past self?

I used to be in KSI 6 years ago and most of the people I knew have left since then. I made some good friends from back then. And I was in the Halo Reach squad at the time, we were friends for 4-5 years, even after I’d left KSI. Two of those people who were rude to me who would kick me out of the parties affected me. I would tell myself that know your self worth you do belong somewhere. Getting back into the relationship with KSI, I have gotten so much out of it that I was surprised. I rejoined later and moved up the ranks. I never even thought I’d become a general over a squad with about 100 people. It’s weird from coming from a bad experience to a better one where I enjoy myself more. Don’t sweat the small stuff, you are on a higher calling, you will get what you want you just don’t know it. 

Looking back on what you’ve done so far. Would you do anything differently?

I am here for fun and haven’t expected the positions I have been given, but if I had to do anything different with my current time in KSI, it’s hard to choose I have had a great time being in the squad. I think my previous time in KSI helped and prepared me for rejoining this time. If I had to change one thing would be to have my initial time would be to add more people, talk more in the forms made my mark in my previous division LS. I never really used the forums back then and wish I had. I wish I was more awarea of my surroundings back then. 

Who is your KSI role model? What have they taught you?

I have two role models KSI Scotland 7. He was recruited a month before I was, Scotland was the guy that everyone looked up to. It’s hard for me to choose just one thing he taught me but he brought me out of my shell. Scotland helped me push myself to get to know everyone and he was someone myself and others gravitated to. I also see this in my current Co-Founder, KSI Joe 7. Joe is also someone I would say is a role model for me. I didn’t think to seek out being an officer. Joe has this personality that he just has people that gravitate toward him. He tries to get to know the members, Joe even knows a lot of his members’ real names. That’s the level of familiarity, comfortability, and trust he builds with the people he meets. Joe taught (or retaught) me everything I know about KSI. At the time I was just a Lieutenant and wasn’t very good at recruiting. But Joe had taught me all that I needed to know. Joe is a complete 180 from my first stint in KSI, he always open and up-front with whatever is going on. And he’s always willing to work with you on whatever needs to be done. He genuinely cares about the members and I wish I could do as much as he does for our squad and DM as a whole. He eats and breathes KSI always there for them I would consider him my KSI role model. 

What is your why? 

I want to be there for the members, I always tell them that if they’re having a bad week talk to me, having issues with family, other members or just life hits them hard, then they can come talk to me. It’s seldom that does happen but I want to be there for my friends and my squad members are my friends. They are the people I talk to on a daily basis. Just to be there have friends and enjoy my time in KSI, my previous time in KSI I was an SSGT and after talking to Joe he encourages me to do more and to become more involved with the community. 

What motivates you to keep pushing forward within KSI?

Nothing motivates me to move forwards. I have the motivation to keep doing what I am doing, to keep learning and conditioning from that. I don’t know what the future holds for me. I love my squad and I love being there for my squad and my friends that’s what keeps motivating me and motivating me forward.

I expect initiative in my members and in my officers. My old GamerTag was KSIInitiative. I expect members to want to learn and do, and it’s important to me. I always try to have people to have a basic sense of initiative.