Interviews

Building a Booming Fantasy Football Brand with Huseyin “The Brain” Aksu

Published

May 9, 2019

Huseyin The Brain interview on Hustle & Motivate, presented by Joker Mag, the home of the underdog.

Credit-Huseyin Aksu/Joker Mag Illustration

If you’re someone who’s been told you weren’t good enough, not big enough, not fast enough, not smart enough, or if you’ve ever felt paralyzed by a failure that you just weren’t willing to accept, this is the show for you.

Hustle & Motivate is a blueprint, built by guests who’ve conquered obstacles, silenced critics, and overcome adversity by seeing every failure as an opportunity, realizing the true power of the underdog mentality.

Through insightful and thought-provoking conversations, we uncover the stories behind these impressive individuals.

The aim is to show you what you’re capable of.

Realizing that a simple mindset shift opens up a world of possibilities. Because in the end, you can do anything you believe you can achieve.

Who Is Huseyin “The Brain” Aksu?

Huseyin The Brain Aksu with his dog dressed as a referee for a fantasy football YouTube video — Credit-Huseyin “The Brain” via YouTube

Growing up in a small California town, Huseyin Aksu always had the entrepreneurial spirit. In middle school, he started selling everything from Star Wars trading cards to song lyrics (this was the pre-iPhone era).

After working for his college newspaper, Huseyin decided to start doing a fantasy football segment. That idea quickly turned into Fantasy Couch, the largest independent fantasy sports site in the world.

Now, ten years later, he’s dishing out fantasy football advice for a living.

Quote Of The Week

“You either go two ways — you either be the loser or you be the winner. Or, you lose in this and then you win in the next niche, the next thing. And it might take you 7, 9 things until you find the place where you can win…” – Huseyin “The Brain” Aksu, CEO of Fantasy Couch

Show Highlights

[4:12] The industry Huseyin thinks is worst to get into

[11:44] Where the chip on his shoulder comes from

[16:55] How Fantasy Couch started and grew over time

[20:20] The one thing that saved Fantasy Couch from calling it a quits

[31:36] Exactly what drives Huseyin to be great

[46:09] How to succeed when you’re about to give up

After Listening…

Check out Fantasy Couch over on their YouTube channel with over 23,000 subscribers. You can follow Huseyin on Twitter @huseyinthebrain.

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Thanks for listening!

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In this article:

Written By Tyler O'Shea

Division III baseball alum (McDaniel College), founder of Joker Mag, and author of The Underdog Mentality: Sports Stories That Will Change How You See the Game (And Yourself). Since launching in November 2017, my stories have been featured on platforms such as FOX Sports, SB Nation, and The Sporting News, reaching over 1.5 million readers worldwide. The seed was planted way back in 7th grade when I got cut from the baseball team. Instead of giving up, I found hope and inspiration in stories of undersized athletes who defied expectations. I ultimately played baseball through college, earning Honorable Mention on the All-Centennial Conference team in my senior season. Today, my mission is simple: To share stories that give people the same feeling I felt when I was that undersized ballplayer searching for hope, inspiration, and evidence that my dream was possible. Like my mom always told me, you can do anything you set your mind to. Sometimes we just need a little extra push. And that’s why I’m so passionate about sharing these stories with the world.