We had the good fortune of connecting with Donald (DJ) Durham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donald (DJ), what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe there is no safer bet than betting on yourself. What some see as a risk, I see as an opportunity to elevate. I believe taking “risks” has allowed me to find deeper value to life. It also give me the ability to take advantage of what life has to offer without fear of failure. The way I see it, if I didn’t take risks or advantage of the opportunities in front of me, eventually those opportunities will fade. When you look at it that way, it almost seems scarier not to risk it sometimes.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As an elementary teacher, I always showed my students that learning can be fun. This isn’t always easy in a system that requires large amounts of content and testing in very little time. It makes it difficult for your child to see how fun math can be! This led to the start of Mission2Math We’ve created a gamified curriculum, in which each M2M lesson becomes an interactive experience, designed to immerse your child in the fun of the learning process. They’ll crack codes, solve puzzles, and collect patches as they progress through out unique tutoring program.

What excites me the most is creating something that allows me to do what I love (teach children), and that allows me to do it my way. The transition can have its challenges, sometimes I feel like I’m unlearning just as much as I’m learning. But with consistency and constant reminders of WHY I’m doing this; I look forward to overcoming those challenges.

I’ve learned along the way that the best thing you can ever do for yourself and your busies is to keep going. There are going to be rough patches, there has to be in order to know what is and isn’t working. You just have to KEEP GOING!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love heading down to Marina Del Ray. This is one of my favorite place in CA to go. I love the ocean, the sushi is bomb, and the vibes are electric. I like anything that can rejuvenate me and reconnect me to good and positive energy.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many people that have given me relentless encouragement and support throughout my career; both before and during this entrepreneur adventure. However I want to dedicate this shout out to my business pattern, coach, and friend Jason Land. He continues to push me to find ways to improve in business and personally. Having the support of others is great. However, having support to reach goals you never knew you could set for yourself, is magnificent.

Website: mission2math.com

Instagram: @mission2math

Facebook: @mission2math

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mission2math-burbank-2?osq=math+tutor

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS0jpxsw9Ya2jez-eSxiNgQ/featured

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.