We’re looking forward to introducing you to DeQwan Young. Check out our conversation below.
DeQwan, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I’m being called to tell stories. Over the course of the last year, I completed my first feature-length documentary. I started a project in 2016 and it never became a priority, until one day it did. I filmed tons of material, I reviewed it, sat with it, and the conclusion I kept finding was, I wasn’t a good enough director and a storyteller to finish the project. I was afraid of there only being a negative outcome, so I avoided the project until the universe sat me down for a few months in 2023. It called out to me and It led to two sold-out showings, and a new level of confidence in myself and my craft.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is DeQwan Young and I am a filmmaker. In 2013, I started my own production company Qwantity Entertainment & Media, now Q3 Media (Qubed Media). I became a staple on the internet with over 100 million views on YouTube, while also appearing in television spots for MGM Grand Casino, and producing/directing pieces for Impact Wrestling superstars Davey Richards and Angelina Love, along with former UFC and WWE Champion Ronda Rousey
In 2016, I enrolled in film school with aspirations of becoming a feature filmmaker. After completing a Master of Fine Arts in Digital Cinema, I made my directorial debut with my documentary short, Profile – A Film by DeQwan Young.
In 2023, I completed my first feature documentary, The Beast: The Final Fight. It chronicles the life and retirement fight of Brian Minto, a rugged underdog who quit his job at age 27 to become a professional boxer. A man from humble beginnings in Butler, PA, a former football player who honed his craft in the ring, with determination and a never say die attitude.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I finally made peace with my insecurity. Growing up I was the ultimate underdog. I never felt like I was enough, I never felt I was accepted, I wasn’t confident, I had no self-worth and I was afraid of everything. Fear is very powerful, and if you can weaponize it, it can take you far. I used that fear and that chip to motivate myself to keep going. Most people tell you to “Face your fears”, but one day, I got enough courage to put my fear behind me by learning to trust my decision making, giving myself the opportunity to fail and most importantly accepting who I am and who I could become.
In grad school I learned, “Extreme uncertainty creates intolerable anxiety”. The fear of the unknown can be debilitating, but only if you cling to outcomes, or you’re unwilling to roll with the punches. Every day I wake up with the knowledge that, “I’m me and opportunity surrounds me in abundance”, and I can’t ask for anything more than that.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me that you have to be willing to go through, to get. Before I moved to California, I spent a month living in a hotel. It was the beginning of the pandemic (May 2020) and my friend gave me a nudge, suggesting I move closer to my dream, because “It can only happen by proximity”. I keep hitting this string of luck where a previous version of myself does something, it then leads to temporary discomfort, and it’s followed by a reward. I don’t know how or why, but an opportunity presented itself and I know that the universe provides for those willing to take the leap, and I am living proof of that.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
A belief I’m committed to is spreading love. Love is the only correct answer. For a large portion of my life, anger was the most accessible emotion I had. I used it, relied on it, I carried it inside, it was my fire. One day I was angry and somebody held a mirror up to me. I decided I didn’t want to do that anymore. I’m really cognizant of my surroundings and the people around me and one thing I tell myself is to, “Just do the opposite”. I used to be surrounded by people who complained about any and everything, I was around people who weren’t kind, I was around people who lived their life through anger. It’s mentally exhausting.
Everything is what it is and that’s the way it’s going to be. When you approach everything with love you start to stop and smell the roses, you find the path less traveled, you do all those things that famous people write about. There’s understanding in love, there’s empathy, there’s a connectedness to reality when you just accept that spreading love is the only way
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say I breathed life into them. I think confidence is infectious and it’s something I radiate. If you’re in proximity of me, I believe in you, no matter how trash you think you are, I think you can do it, because I can do it, and if I can do it, you can do it. I grew up playing sports in a city full of athletes more talented than I was. They were taller than I was, they were faster than I was, they had more support than I did. I didn’t get picked last, but I never played with the guys that the coaches thought had it. So I lined up against them. I was never happy to just be out there, I thought that I could beat them; no matter who was on my team, I always thought I could win. I’ll go to war with whoever, as long as they believe in me. I hope people who experienced me got a little more confidence, if only for one minute. I hope they know that in that moment when they did something great, I was the most excited for them, because I got to experience joy with them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://deqwanyoung.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/day_qwan/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Q3_Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@QwalitySports
Image Credits
Clinton Foshee
Rebecca Root
