Wilton “Zews” Prado is a living legend in the competitive Counter-Strike community. However, the Brazilian esports coach should be recorded as a legend within the esports industry as a whole. His story is the one they write movies about: how a band of brothers left Brazil to try to take on the best in the world… before becoming one of the greatest CSGO teams the world has ever seen. A multiple major winning coach with a resume longer than your arm, Zews has a plethora of insight around coaching esports teams, the industry as a whole and the world of Counter-Strike. He shares his personal journey in this episode with golden nuggets of knowledge littered throughout. 

To find out more about Zews, you can follow him on Twitter, his handle is @Zews. Alternatively find him on Instagram at @WiltonZews. His YouTube channel is: https://www.youtube.com/@WiltonZews and he is on TikTok at: https://www.tiktok.com/@wiltonzewsprado 

The concept of a performance coach for an esports team or player seems somewhat odd. Surely esports players just sit and play games all day? WHY would they need a performance coach? Urszula Klimczak is an esports performance coach currently working with the ENCE Counter-Strike team. In this episode she breaks down the nuances of competitive gaming and how it compares to traditional sports as well as the fundamental differences between competitive play and casual gaming. She dives into the inner workings of esports teams and some of the struggles faced by competitive esports players. Her insights also offer guidance to those interested in the psychology of professional gaming. 

To find out more about what Urszula does, you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Her handle is @Xirreth on both platforms.

In the new season of Tech Girl Talks, Sam chats to friends and colleagues in the esports industry about their specific jobs, how they found themselves in esports and what they do. It’s a deep dive into the esports jobs many people don’t know exist and showcases the diverse nature of the industry. In episode 1, Sam decides to explain what it is she does as an esports broadcaster, desk hosting various events, focusing in on Counter-Strike and discussing a bit more about her esports content creation and this podcast.

To find out more about Sam you can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and threads. Her handle is @TechGirlZA on all platforms.

Love him or hate him, there is no denying that Duncan “Thorin” Shields has had a global impact on esports both as a content creator and broadcast talent. He has amassed a following across multiple platforms and regularly makes Counter-Strike content that starts conversations (and debates). 

It seemed only fitting to end Season 3 with an icon of CSGO. Expect some bangers in this one, it is a plethora for soundbites.

You can find Thorin on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/thorin

You can watch him on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@Thooorin

The Pro Player - Maikil "golden" Selim

Golden is an extremely talented Counter-Strike Global Offensive player who has played for Fnatic, Cloud9 and did a brief stint with Ninjas in Pajamas at a CS Major. He has a wealth of experience and knows what the pressure is like when being part of one of the best CS teams in the world. 

As an IGL he also has an interesting view on what it takes to lead a team. I wanted to pick his brain to really understand what it takes to be a professional Counter-Strike player and how young talent can be spotted.

You can find golden on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/goldenmajk

SapphiRe began as a competitive Counter-Strike player before moving into a host of different roles. The one I desperately wanted to chat to her about was that of Observer. I believe observers are the most important role in any esports broadcast. Without them, the magic of the game can easily be lost. Yet, they’re the unsung heroes of many CSGO events. 

I wanted to find out what led sapphiRe to carving out a space as an observer and what it takes to work on some of the biggest events in the world, including the 2022 Rio Major, which she is currently working on.

You can find sapphiRe on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sapphiReGG

Matthew “Sadokist” Trivett is, in my opinion, one of the best Counter-Strike commentators in the world. His voice is linked to a host of legendary moments in CSGO history. His life has also become somewhat public fodder. I wanted to chat to him to find out what it is like to be at the top of your game - from constantly pushing yourself professionally to dealing with a social media world shrouded in “cancel culture”.

You can find Sadokist on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Sadokist

You can also find him on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Sadokist

The conversation around female Counter-Strike has been a heated one for some time. I wanted to add to it and thought there was no one better to contribute than Hege “Hedje” Botnen. Hedje is a competitive Norwegian CSGO player who competed at a host of international events in an all women line up. She has since retired from competitive play and now works as an analyst on a host of esports broadcasts. 

She gave some insight into the women’s leagues currently being run and shared her own experiences as a woman in esports and Counter-Strike.

Follow Hedje on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hedjee

Follow Hedje on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hedjecsgo/

What does it take to become a shoutcaster in one of the most popular games in the world? In this episode of Tech Girl Talks, I chat to Adam “Dinko” Hawthorne, a Counter-Strike commentator who has casted a host of S-Tier events. 

Dinko’s story is an interesting one as he is one of the few shoutcasters on the scene working at high level events who does not have a dedicated casting partner. He explains how that works and how he navigates the CS:GO scene.

Follow Dinko on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dinkotv

Bleh has cemented himself as one of the leading analysts in the Counter-Strike broadcast space in recent years. An impressive feat on its own but even more so when you consider that he lives in India, one of the regions not as popular on the global CS map. 

For this episode of the Tech Girl Talks podcast I chatted to Bleh about how he was able to crack international competition and how he was able to grow in a career that is far tougher than it might look to the rest of the world.

Follow Bleh on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/officialBleh

Follow Bleh on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/officialbleh