Daily Inspiration: Meet Xavier Charles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Xavier Charles.

Hi Xavier, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story is wild and all over the place. I’ve been into racing for as long as I can remember, so the first chance I got, I went to one of those NASCAR racing experiences in Bristol, Tennessee. From then, I knew I wanted to pursue racing and quickly found my way onto a racing reality TV show that aired on Spike TV. The show ended up being canceled early, and I was sent back home to Virginia. Afterward, I joined the Air Force as a weather forecaster. While serving, I raced on weekends with the National Auto Sport Association (NASA). After the military, I started working for an insurance company in Virginia, which transferred me to Los Angeles. My trainer happened to be an actor, and when they found out I could race cars and shoot guns, they recommended I look into being a stunt driver. It sounded like a great idea, but also a long shot, but he said he knew a stunt performer who knew a stunt driver, so there was a chance. I gave it some thought and enrolled in a stunt driving school to see how well everything translated from racing. After school, I felt confident in my abilities, so I called the driver they had referred me to. It was a great chat, and he connected me with a few people. Before I knew it, I got a chance to drive on a few projects, and after that, my career took off.

During this time, I played ultimate frisbee in my free time to ensure I was getting decent cardio exercise. I started playing in rec leagues and pickup games as well. In one game, a teammate warned me that the player I was guarding was a professional and very good. I took it as a challenge to see how we would match up. It ended up being very competitive, and I had a few more matchups with pro players. At that point, I wondered if I could make a pro team. So, in 2018, I tried out for the Los Angeles Aviators and did well; however, my cardio wasn’t where it needed to be, so I didn’t make it. I returned in 2019, knowing what I needed to work on, and made the Aviators! I played with them through the 2021 season. During that season, I started asking the owners about their roles, and it piqued my interest. So, with my stunt driving career doing well, I decided to join the Los Angeles Aviators ownership group in 2022.

While serving in the military, I acquired my undergraduate degree in marketing, and after separating, I earned my MBA, specializing in marketing. Once the Aviators learned this, they named me marketing director. This quickly became a full-time job as I learned about the Aviators from a business perspective. It’s been very interesting learning how to introduce this sport to the Los Angeles community. It has been a lot of fun, but there have definitely been some trial-and-error elements in figuring out what will grab people’s attention and, from there, what will get them to games. I know it will be successful because our players are very talented, and the product is entertaining from a fan’s perspective. Not only that, but it’s a cost-effective way to have a night out or a family night out for some weekend fun. With that said, it’s been a wild ride, and I’m having a blast working on both stunt driving and being a Los Angeles Aviator owner.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely not been an easy journey. There aren’t many Black people in stunt driving or ultimate frisbee, so there isn’t really a clear path to success or acceptance. I was always told to give it 110%. In other words, as long as I’m hitting home runs, no one can talk about strikeouts. Outside of the performance metrics for either career, there’s the people element, and most would say I’m pretty friendly and easy to get along with. I try to help anyone I can, within reason. So all I can do is be myself and trust people will see that I am genuine and have a good heart, and hopefully, that’s something someone would want to work with or for.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In stunt driving it has been a lot of fun. I would have to say the most fun I’ve had is doing police chases on the TV show SWAT. I’ve gotten to crash cars and run from the police with explosions and helicopters. I have had so much fun on that show.

For the Los Angeles Aviators it would have to be our 2023 season. We got off to a really rough start but afterwards went on a run and made it all the way to the Western Division championship. Even then it was a very close game that could have gone either way. Unfortunately we ended up being just a couple of points shy of making it to championship weekend. That season was so much fun just because once the team clicked and found that chemistry everybody was playing so free and just knew what to expect out of their teammates. It was a lot of fun seeing what our players can do when the pressure is on.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I consider both stunt driving and owning the Los Angeles Aviators to be working in the entertainment industry. So, there are quite a few projects I participate in that may not be directly related, but they still teach me a lot about the entertainment side of things, marketing, and grabbing a target audience’s attention.

With that being said, my friend the guy who trained me at the insurance company years ago and recommended I look into being a stunt driver and I started a production company and make short films.

I also started a YouTube channel. Since I’ve been a big tech guy for as long as I can remember (building PCs and driving simulators), I review various tech products. This helps with the editing and production, as well as the marketing side of the business.

Pricing:

• Los Angeles Aviator tickets for adults are $20
• Tickets to Aviator games for kids under 18 are free with the purchase of an adult ticket

Contact Info:

• Website: https://LaAviators.com
• Youtube: https://YouTube.com/XavierCharles

Image Credits
📸 Michael Pillion