We’re looking forward to introducing you to Danny McGee. Check out our conversation below.
Danny, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I’m currently building my old 4runner out to be an overlanding rig – so building drawers / different systems for that is super fun for me right now
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Danny McGee and I’m a filmmaker / youtuber in the travel / adventure space. I’ve spent my career shooting campaigns for companies like Redbull, DJI, GoPro, Google and Sony. In addition to that I also produce long format travel films the most popular one being “Southbound” which documents myself and 2 friends riding motorcycles from the US down to the southern tip of South America.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
In 2015 I had just graduated high school and really wanted to visit Iceland. I tried to get some friends to go with me but at the very last second, they dropped out so I was forced to go alone. I definitely considered not going at all, but the 10 days I spent there completely changed the course of my life. I met so many amazing people, really fell in love with photography and videography and most importantly learned to step into the unknown even when I was scared.
That trip shaped the rest of my life and I wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t have gone.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There were definitely times throughout the past decade of my career where I was discouraged, out of money or just burnt out. I ran out of money a few times in my backpacking days, felt so alone when i was first traveling solo, and had clients not pay me for work that I did. It’s insanely frustrating in the moment but things going wrong is really when you learn the most about yourself. I think it’s important in times like that to just take a step back from things, remind yourself why you’re doing it, and then see what you can learn from that situation.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Completing Southbound (The motorcycle travel series I’m working on) is something I know I’ll do – even if we are unsure of how long it will take us. The motorcycle trips we go on are in legs, so we ride for 4-7 weeks per year, store our motorcycles then return the following year. We’ve filmed 3 episodes so far and our bikes are being stored in Peru, and it’ll likely take us another 2 trips to make it to the end of the world but we know we’ll do it. The trips are incredible in themselves. We’re riding dirtbikes so the journey takes us to places that tourists never get to see, and we always get ourselves into the most interesting situations. But on top of that the films are what my friend Jonah and I have dreamed of making since we first got into videography. We’ve been super surprised at how popular the series has gotten and can’t wait to make the rest of the series.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What will you regret not doing?
One thing that I have been focusing a lot on the past few years is spending time with my family. I think as I get older I just realize that family won’t be there forever and as you get older it becomes harder and harder to spend time with them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mcgeemedia.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcgee
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Mcgeee?si=z6qwOb3kRwlrpZM-
Image Credits
Jonah Levine, Nicole Mack
