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Today I wanted to share episode 1 of my Dad Logs Revisited podcast series! I talk about the transition from part time to full time streaming, some of my lessons learned while becoming a full time streamer, and learning how to grow as a content creator. This is a Dad's Tale, and I hope you enjoy!!  I stream on Twitch on M / W / F nights from 4 - 10 PM CST and Saturday from 9 AM - 3 PM CST, join us for the fun! ___________________________________________________________________________ STAY CONNECTED: Twitter: https://twitter.com/dadgotgametv Twitch: https://www.twitch.com/dadgotgametv Insta: https://instagram.com/dadgotgametv Website: https://dadgotgame.com Business Inquiries: dadgotgametv@outlook.com ___________________________________________________________________________

Today I want to chat about branching out. It's been a minute since I've created a Dad Log, so apologies for that. When you find yourself getting comfortable in the group of creators you've made friends with, it can be easy to support them and consistently go to them to create content together. And if you're at that point, it's important to continue to support them in those ways. But it's also important to seek new creators to support. It's an opportunity in two ways, the first being an opportunity to see how different creators do things. Inspiration for you to continue to innovate. But it's also an opportunity to meld communities and to strengthen the platform from a viewership standpoint. My encouragement for you, especially if you are comfortable in the group of creators you support, is to branch out. Find a new creator to support today! Make a new friend, you never know where it may take both of you! God bless!

Today I wanted to try something different, we did the Dad Log live on our morning cast. And we talked about motivation. As people, it can be really hard some days to get out of bed, to pull your bootstraps up, and to be motivated to do whatever you need to do during the day. This might be going to school, going to work, or creating content. Whatever it is, motivation is usually derived from a core attribute or purpose. My encouragement for you, especially if you're struggling with motivation, is to focus on your core purpose. What drives you to do whatever it is you do day in and day out? Remember that purpose, and use it to drive yourself forward. God bless!

Today we're going to talk about the hot topic of the week, stream coaching. This has come up and been fought about on Twitter and even some of the biggest folks in streaming are weighing in on it. Current status? Remains to be seen. There are many variables that impact the success of a broadcaster, from game and platform selection, to personality, to technology expertise, and many other variables that are completely outside the control of streamers everywhere. My encouragement for you, is that if you are a broadcaster considering getting a stream coach, is to do your research and set expectations appropriately. Like any consultative service, track record is everything. Make sure that the expectations and outcomes of the engagement with a stream coach are defined and know that there are MANY free resources out there available as well. And know that stream coaching isn't a "magic bullet" for success. God bless!

Today I want to talk about dealing with chargebacks. As a streamer, you inevitably will end up at some point dealing with charged back tips. There are a few ways to combat those chargebacks though. The first is to make sure in Streamlabs that you don't allow anonymous tips. There is an option to require people who tip to login, which then puts a name with a tip. Another option is to not take tips at all. As a growing stream, you then have the power to ask people to share the stream in lieu of tipping. This can be a fantastic way to grow your channel. My encouragement for you, is to consider all your options regarding tips, turn on authenticated tips only, and when you do get a chargeback, reaching out to Paypal to ask the fees to be removed. Renee Reynosa put that little nugget on Twitter, and so far the chargebacks I've received using her advice, has help me combat at the very least the fees associated with the chargeback. God bless!

Today I want to talk about the hard work that no one sees when you become a content creator. The reality is that to succeed in content creation, you have to put in the time off screen. There are many things that go into being successful in content creation, like editing video, scheduling instagram posts, updating overlays, creating new ways to engage with your community. Many people think that streaming is just firing it up and playing video games all day. But you have to do the not fun things if you want to succeed and do the fun things. My encouragement for you, is to consider all the hard work you have to do on the backend if you want to succeed in content creation. Realize that just streaming isn't enough, and that you need to be prepared to put in the work if you want to see the results, just like any other job or endeavor. Being prepared and setting expectations is half the battle fam! God bless!

Today I want to chat about finding your purpose. I think as content creators we have a tendency to jump into creation almost like a pipe dream. We dream some day of being a huge star, and don't really realize how much work goes into it or that behind every creator there should be a purpose. We all got started creating content for a reason, whether it was for the love of sharing our video game experiences or to build community or to make money. My encouragement for you, if you are just getting started, thinking about getting started, or even a veteran content creator that is in a lull, find or re-find your purpose. Take a minute to step back, reflect on why you create content, and find that purpose. Then double down on it! God bless!

Today I want to talk about utilizing good ideas, regardless of where they come from. The saying goes, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". And every tech company out there, imitates their competitors in one way or another. Often times, companies like Apple, Microsoft and Amazon aren't the first to market with an idea. But that doesn't mean they aren't successful. As content creators, we should be looking for every opportunity to learn and grow, and that includes figuring out how to take other creators ideas and morph them into something meaningful for our channel. My encouragement for you, especially if you are a creator, is to get it out of your head that if someone does something well, that you aren't allowed to do it as well. It's a matter of taking that idea, and making it your own so it is received in a genuine way! God bless!

Today I want to talk about being genuine. We were chatting last night about the differences between Mixer and Twitch, and one of my folks commented about how Twitch felt "fake" to them. How many folks put on an act for the sake of making money, instead of focusing on community. I think as a content creator, one of the most important (and often overlooked) traits that a great creator has is the ability to be genuine. My encouragement for you, is to really focus on making sure you're as genuine as possible when it comes to content creation. Playing a persona and amping up natural traits is fine, but being someone you aren't or attempting to match someone else's style of delivery will likely fall flat. You do you, and let the rest fall into place. God bless!

Fortnite Save the World - Dad Log - Stardate 11052018 Today I want to do a State of the Game address on Fortnite Save the World. This side of the Fortnite franchise doesn't get a whole lot of press, and I think it's mainly because it's not a free game. But if you're a fan of the looter shooter genre of games, this is a solid entry into this category. The Save the World side of Fortnite has you diving into the development of heroes on a quest based story mode, and developing your heroes to save humanity from impending doom. As with any looter shooter, there is materials gathering, crafting, quests and repeatable missions. My encouragement for you, if you are fan of the looter shooter genre, is to pick this game up. If you play the BR, you will earn v-bucks that can be used to buy skins and season passes. The expansion actually pays for itself if you intend to continue to play the franchise. God bless!

Today I want to share my thoughts on Mixer Season 2. This includes the updates that dropped like Skills, Sparks Patronage, and the ideas yet to come like Embers and the loyalty system. With Season 2 dropping yesterday, we got a bunch of technical upgrades like automatic bitrate switching, video debugging tools, and site stability improvements. They also released skills, in which viewers can spend sparks to put stickers, gifs, animations and games in the chat. I provide my overview here of all of the new items. My encouragement for you, is if you're a partner, is to go for the 5 million goal, hit those milestones and enjoy the sparks patronage program. But don't let that stop you from support non-partnered streamers just the same. If you are a non-partnered streamer, keep creating great content! Invest in your viewers, your community, and stay focused on making the best content you can. God bless!

Today I want to chat about depth versus breadth in your community. As a content creator, one of the easiest metrics to measure is follower count. It's front and center everywhere, there are 25,000 different tools that track it, and it seems to be of maniacal focus for most creators. But something that doesn't get talked about often is the depth of your community. How deep are the relationships you've built with your followers. When gaining followers is slow, what do you focus on? My encouragement for you today, is to focus on the depth of your community if you're at a place where the breadth of your community is slower than normal. When you aren't focused on welcoming a ton of new people into your community, focus on building those relationships with the people that are there. God bless!

Today I want to chat about creating a schedule that works for you. There are two types of schedules for people, schedules that work and schedules that don't. Creating a schedule that works means creating a schedule that you can maintain day after day, after week, after month, after year. It means you can be consistent in that schedule every week and your viewers can expect you to be live every week at that time. Consistency is what breeds growth, and will always be good for your channel, community and for yourself. My encouragement for you is to find a schedule that works for your life. Even if you can't be live at the same time every day of your schedule, setting a time each day you cast and sticking to it will yield the best results for YOU and for your community. So find a schedule that works for you, and stick with it! God bless!

Today I want to chat about content creation and how it's a marathon, not a sprint. I've been doing consistent content creation for the last year, and as a "young" content creator, it can be easy to wonder when you'll see enough success to go full time. And the reality is, if you look at those that are doing full time content creation, the majority of them have been in the game for at least 3 years. It takes time to build a community that can support you as a full time creator. My encouragement for you, especially if you're a creator that has been in the game less than 12 months, is to remind yourself that you have a long way to go. That may be discouraging for some, but being able to do content creation full time in less than 12 months is like winning the lottery, it's one in a million. So take a breath, remind yourself to stay the course, and keep creating content. God bless!

Today I want to chat about the differences between a green screen and a cambox. I chat about the pros and cons of both, the personal preference side of them, and how to execute the delivery of them. These two delivery methods for broadcasters with cameras can drastically change the interaction and dynamic of the content, but the nice thing is that both of them are attainable and can be interchanged as needed. My encouragement for you, is to try them both out if you have the ability to. Start with the cambox since it's the easiest to do and takes the least investment, and when you have the opportunity to, invest in some cheap green fabric and the nicest lights you can afford and try out the green screen as well! God bless!

Today I want to talk about innovation, and innovation as a content creator. The top creators are always innovating, tweaking, coming up with new ideas and experiences for their audience to drive engagement. It's important that in the thick of things, you take a moment to step back and brainstorm. Whether it's streamlining your existing experience, or creating something brand new, you have to take the time to innovate. My encouragement for you, especially if you find yourself in a rut, is to take a step back. Evaluate what makes you and your content unique, and if you're struggling to answer that question, then start brainstorming ways that you can showcase your personality and what makes you unique. Then you can truly take that innovation and turn it into something people love. God bless!

Today I want to talk about different types of agreements. There are many different ways to engage with companies, andy many different ways that engaging with those companies can be mutually beneficial to you and to them. Affiliate agreements are generally the "lowest tier", providing little benefit to the content creator and massive benefit to the company. Partnerships are usually a next step up, and often involve more than just discount codes. Sponsorships are the top of the spectrum, and offer the most benefit to a creator. My encouragement is to consider long and hard what types of agreements you're willing to engage in long term. Make sure that the contracts have distinct benefits to you, and if the "benefit" entails "additional exposure" for your brand and that's it, I'd be very concerned. Any opportunity doesn't always mean it's a good opportunity. God bless!

Today I have a heart to heart with you content creators and future content creators out there. This is not to discourage you in your pursuits in content creation, but to lay it out there for you. What are you getting into when we're talking about content creation? The reality is that you're in for a LOT of work if you want to see success in the creation space. Expect to put in 2 to 3 times as many hours as you are streaming. You are your own IT guy, marketing guru, sales specialist and owner. You determine your path, so make sure you're prepared to put in the work. My encouragement for you, is to figure out if content creation is truly something you want to pursue. The dedication and hard work and variable aspects of creation can be very demanding mentally and physically. There are many opportunities outside of directly creating content that allow you contribute and even be a leader in the communities you're a part of. Consider all your options, and no matter what you do, give it all you've got! God bless!

Today I want to chat about what appears to be a departure of droves of creator from Mixer back to Twitch. There are a lot of folks that are upset about the site's stability, about growth on the platform, and many other factors that play into those decisions. I can see where they're coming from. There are many items, technical and otherwise, that need to be addressed by Mixer as a platform. The beautiful thing is, they are addressing them! So my encouragement for you, if you are looking at leaving (or moving to) Mixer, is to really figure out why you stream and make your decision based on that. If you're just looking to fund your gaming hobby, Twitch is a great place to be. If you want to grow with a platform, and possibly do this for a living someday, Mixer is right where you should be. It all comes down to your willingness to be patient. The reward will be huge if you can get through the short term pain. God bless!

Today I want to talk about getting back on the horse. It can be really easy when we slip up and take an unscheduled day off, get sick, or stop doing something, to say it's not worth doing any more. This is especially true in content creation, but applies to things like working out, eating healthy, and any number of other activities we do in our daily lives. It can be really hard to get yourself back mentally to a state where you can perform, pick yourself up by your bootstraps, and start doing again whatever it is you stopped. My encouragement for you today, is to get back on the horse. Whatever it might be that you recently stopped doing, do it again today. Did you quit working out? Do it today. Even if it's 5 pushups and 5 squats, do it today. Did you quit eating healthy? Find the healthiest mean in your cabinet, and eat it for lunch and dinner today. Whatever it is, start back up. God bless!