AMA with Shift Movement Digital’s Founder and CEO
Hey Christian. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. We are excited to have you in for this AMA. I wanted to take some time to talk with you so others can learn more about your company.
Before we get started, for those who know little to nothing about Shift Movement, please explain what/who you are and give a little background on what your company does.
“Absolutely. My name is Christian Hayes; I am the Founder of Shift Movement and the Co-host of the podcast We Got Next (WGN). I currently live in the DMV area (D.C., Maryland, Virginia). I graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management and a Minor in Marketing and Communications. During my senior year in college, I started to become interested in Finance. I told myself then that I would go back to school for Finance. After speaking with my mentor at a coaches' meeting in Maryland, I decided to pursue an MBA at George Mason University. I will be graduating in December with my MBA with a concentration in Accounting and Finance. While I was working in Maryland, I started to hear about Bitcoin and Ethereum. I have known about cryptocurrency since 2016 and have been invested in cryptocurrency since 2017. My first crypto investment was in Ethereum. Due to the knowledge I have gained from cryptocurrency, I decided to create my own company. Shift Movement was created in 2020. One of the companies under the Shift Movement umbrella is Shift Movement Digital. Shift Movement Digital is an investment firm that works to invest in cryptocurrency on behalf of our investors. Shift Movement has a mission of educating our clients and the public on the benefits of cryptocurrency. We hope to interview many cryptocurrency companies throughout our journey to help the public develop a better understanding of cryptocurrency and decentralization. We Got Next is a podcast that I created with a good friend of mine, Stephen Springer. Our goal with the podcast is to give people another medium to learn about cryptocurrency and sports and how we can bridge the two.”
What is your vision of the company in 5 years?
“Great question. The five-year plan has many different components to it. The big part of this will be the expansion aspect. First, I would like us to expand with regards to clients and staffing. My goal is to continue to bring on clients wanting to learn about cryptocurrency and looking ahead to save. Next, I want to start bringing on full-time and part-time staff to handle the project expansion in clientele. We are currently looking for full-time: financial advisors, software developers, engineers, economists (interested in cryptocurrency and stocks), a Chief Financial Officer, and researchers, to name a few. In terms of interns, we are looking for students studying in fields such as accounting, business, computer science, finance, human resources, and I.T.”
“The next big goal is to have a centrally located office building for all staff to come to for work. I have set forth three other plans for the company: increasing our social media presence, moving into the venture capitalist field, and real estate investing. All of this will take time and also will take the efforts of a great team. Finally, closer to the 5–10 year time frame, we would like to expand into Canada and then countries in Europe.”
Who are your target clients today?
“Currently, our target clients are middle-class Americans. We want to expand into other countries, but we are focused on middle-class Americans for the time being. We are open to beginner and experienced individuals when it comes to cryptocurrency. The central premise for this company is education and knowledge.”
Do you often talk to other CEOs? Which ones?
“Of course. It varies in communication length, but I speak to CEOs/ owners in cryptocurrency, Fintech, NBA, recreational sports, and the real estate market. I wouldn't say I like to roll off names of people I talk to; instead, I would suggest people tuning into the podcast I co-host called We Got Next (WGN). We will bring on athletes, financial advisors, hedge fund managers, cryptocurrency managers, and owners on the podcast.”
What are the key projects the company is working on this quarter?
“We are working on critical projects this quarter: getting the podcast moving along, talking to realtors to start branching off into real estate, increasing our client base, and developing partnerships in the cryptocurrency space and Fintech realm. A significant part of us expanding our client base will be increasing our social media presence and bringing on more staff to focus on target areas for us to grow. Lastly, working with our legal team to ensure we comply moving forward in different states.”
How did you decide to get into finance?
“I have always had a passion for math. Growing up, my mom loved math, and I was a big stats person when it came to sports. So math was one of those subjects in school that were easier for me. In high school, I enjoyed accounting, and then in my final year as an undergrad, I took a Finance course. From that moment forward, I developed a passion for Accounting and Finance. Once I dove into the cryptocurrency and stock market, I was hooked.”
Which resources do you use to keep up with industry news?
“Twitter, Medium, Telegram, Coindesk, Cointelegraph, YouTube and CoinMarketCap
There are so many people I can give credit to on Twitter that keep me updated on the cryptocurrency market. In addition, Twitter is a prominent place where companies also release news.
Medium is an excellent source for those that enjoy reading. YouTube is another good source if you are on the go a lot and want to listen to information.
What is the greatest challenge the industry is facing?
“Acceptance and institutions not having an open mind.”
“Throughout the years, we see companies reject and turn their head to Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. In turn, this will have clients and investors of those companies doing the same thing. We have to help others understand that cryptocurrency is our future and will help us globally. This will also give people a crash course in international finance too. Once big-name companies start to accept cryptocurrency or show that it is ok to dive into the cryptocurrency space, we will see the market grow even more than it already has. I do believe that Covid has played a big part in people learning about cryptocurrency and decentralized technology. Telegram is a place where crypto communities can talk.”
What is the most exciting trend you see in 2021?
“DeFi and NFTs. Meme coins are a close third.
Decentralized Finance is a crucial concept for people to understand. DeFi lending will also be necessary. You have terms such as Staking and Yield Farming that I think people should take time to learn and understand too. Did I mention collateralized loans? Look that up too.
NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are another trend that I have seen start to grow. NFTs can come in all different forms. This allows anyone to make money in this field. I believe this will also help artists and musicians a lot. This will benefit athletes as well. The authenticity of products will be changed for the better as we know it too.”
What are some common misconceptions about our industry? How do you deal with them?
“Cryptocurrency is a big pump and dump and a scam. The best way to combat this notion is to continue to educate people. If we continue to educate individuals in this space, it will then help the cryptocurrency community grow. Big players in the FinTech space have started diving into cryptocurrency. Most things in the beginning that can change the way we look at life or move day to day are thought of as crazy or ridiculous. Most times, that is because people have not taken the time to research and learn about it. Once you go down the cryptocurrency rabbit hole, you will understand that it is our future. We only have two choices: Get on board or step aside. There is no in-between. Knowledge is power, and the best way to deal with it is to take the time to talk to people about cryptocurrency and its benefits. Of course, acknowledge that Bitcoin is volatile, but in the same breath, explain to people what blockchain and smart contracts are.”
