Dad's Log - A Glimpse Into The Mind Of A Broadcaster

"5% of people will hate you no matter what you do." If you can live with the realization that haters are going to hate, then you can get past just about anything they throw at you. People are going to hate on you, especially with the more success you see. You see it all the time on Twitter and other places, so knowing how to deal with it is half the battle. I talk about how to deal with it in a couple of different ways. If the harassment isn't too harsh or persistent, the best course of action, is to just block the person. That way you're in an "out of sight, out of mind" type of mentality. But if the person continues to harass you or is very persistent, using the reporting features on the site that you're being harassed on is the next step. If it continues, you can get your community involved in reporting the person. Eventually, the person will do enough to get themselves booted from the platform. But at the end of the day, standing up for yourself is important. God bless!

I've been reading a lot about an increase in trolling recently, which is something that is often difficult for broadcasters to deal with. Especially when you're a growing broadcaster and "every viewer counts". But when it comes down to it, by letting trolls take control of your chat, they are also taking control of your content. So you really need to make sure you have a solid plan that you can execute on if you need to. There are a couple of different strategies to deal with trolls. The first is to just straight away instaban them. Get rid of the negativity, cut it out and move on. The second way is to whisper them and to ask them to chill, then time them out, and then ban them and move on. At the end of the day, your content is your content. Trolls will impact your content, so having a plan in place to deal with them is important. God Bless!

I've noticed a huge increase recently in the number of posts on Twitter talking about game selection and playing the games you love. A lot of people talk about "growth games" and especially on Mixer, most people look at the size of the directory as the only factor for growing. In reality, playing the biggest games on the planet don't always mean you'll grow quickly. Especially if you're playing the game ONLY for growth, and not because you're having fun with it. At the end of the day, if your content is crap because you're playing a game you hate just because you think it's going to net you the gains you want from a growth standpoint, it will come across in your content. People will see you aren't enjoying what you're playing. So make sure that when you're choosing games to play, you're looking hard at what helps you make the best content, because your best content will net you your best growth. God Bless!

I hear from people that their scared to engage with others out of a fear of rejection. I get the feeling, I used to be that way. But then I read a book called the "3 Signs of a Miserable Job" and my outlook on interacting with people changed. Whether we're talking about applying for a partnership or affiliation or just meeting new people, the answer is ALWAYS going to be NO if you don't try. I have a quote in my email signature, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take". And I wholeheartedly believe it. If you don't ask, the answer will always be no. And the absolute worst thing that can happen to you, is that you're told no. The beauty of being told no, is that you can then let it go and move on to the next thing. Or work harder to get a yes if it's something you really want. The best outcome? You get the answer you're looking for. I encourage you to put yourself out there fam, it's always going to be NO if you don't. God Bless!

I have a confession. I got sucked into the trap I've been telling y'all to avoid for months. Over the last couple weeks, I've been focusing on the wrong things. I'm sorry. It's hard when you're making a push for the next milestone not to focus on the numbers. Partner is a big step for any community to make, and with the amount of success we've seen in a short time period, it's made looking at the numbers easy. But as we've slowed down, I've started to question and doubt myself. What am I doing wrong? What did I change? Instead of focusing on delivering the best content that I can, I've been focusing on the wrong things. So starting today, we're going to get back to the basics, and start focusing on the thing that really matters. You. I want to play the games that I can make the best content playing, I want to focus on giving back to y'all, and most importantly I want to re-open the lines of communication so I can ensure we're making this community the best it can be. God Bless!

Time fam. I'm just going to say it. The most valuable resource you can give anyone or anything on this planet is your time. So when you're looking at where and how you spend your time, make sure it aligns with your goals and values, because you can't get it back. I've always told folks that are part of my community that I appreciate their time above all else, because I'm acutely aware of how valuable and precious time is. My encouragement for you, is to take a moment, and evaluate where your time goes every day. Does it align with your goals and values? Where are you spending it that it could be better utilize. Identifying the people and communities and ideas you want to invest in should be your top priority, and then start investing that time! God Bless!

Today, it's a very long Dad Log. I wanted to break down hardware options for streaming. I get a lot of questions about my own hardware setup, so I will cover what I use, but will also cover other options for hardware in each category as well. There are a lot of considerations to make, console versus PC games, one PC versus two PC setups. We'll also talk about capture cards, audio interfaces, microphones, cameras, lighting and peripherals. I'll break down the differences between your options in capture cards (internal vs external and brands), audio interfaces (boards vs rackmount vs desktop), microphones (usb vs xlr), cameras (webcam vs camcorder vs DSLR), lighting (DIY lighting vs photography lighting vs LED professional lighting) and peripherals like the Elgato Stream Deck. I hope you enjoy this hardware breakdown! God bless!

Sometimes, as content creators, we just aren't in the right headspace. I'm not talking about those times when you're just more tired than normal, or you've had some setbacks from a technical perspective that you've solved. I'm talking about those days when you would just put out subpar content because of the way you feel. Yesterday was one of those days for me. Even if my computer wasn't out of commission, I wouldn't have been capable of making my best content. Those are the days where you need to have the self-awareness to admit that you won't create your best content, communicate it to your community, and take the time away to reset your head. The most important thing, is to come back the next day strong, ready, and able to create your best content. Don't let one bad day turn into one bad week or month. Get back up, dust yourself off, and hit the ground running. God Bless!

As a broadcaster, you are inevitably going to run into technical issues. Even the most experienced broadcaster has technical issues from time to time, and the key to dealing with them (if they aren't show ending) is to "entertain through the pain". The same way you deal with challenging parts to a game, is a good way to deal with technical issues as well. As opposed to getting flustered, consider treating it like an end game boss. If you're a screamer, scream at the issue. If you're a whiner, whine about the problem. Whatever your coping mechanism, own it, and pray your audience will own it with you! I encourage you to always do your best, know that technical issues will happen, and when necessary, end the stream and fight it offline. Your audience will understand, and you can come back with a renewed attitude once you've resolved your issues. Every broadcaster deals with issues, it's HOW you deal with them that will ultimately win the day. God Bless!!

One of the questions I get all the time from new or prospective streamers is "How do I get started?" or "How do I gain a following?". And so I wanted to cover the top three things that I tell every streamer that comes into my channel. So the first thing I say is to put together a schedule. But don't put together a schedule that you can't maintain month over month. Make it realistic and something you can do for month's on end. After that, it's about being consistent. It's about not missing scheduled streams on a regular basis and being on time. If you do have to miss, you overcommunicate why and when. And last, it's about patience. Know that it's going to take time to build a community, a family, and know that there will be days you want to quit. Don't. If you can maintain those three ideals, you will eventually be successful. Very few people find success without these things, so make sure to do each of these things, every day, and work hard. You'll get there! God Bless!

Let's talk about dealing with disappointment. Yesterday I received notice that I was denied partnership with the Mixer platform. It hurt a bit given what the Legion has accomplished in the 2 months we've been on the platform, but it wasn't surprising. It was motivating. I'm hungrier than ever to prove the Legion, and myself, are good enough to represent the Mixer platform as a partnered community. It's important, not just as a broadcaster, but as a person, to do your best to deal with disappointment in a positive way. Getting bitter and resentful about a challenge or stumbling block is the quickest way to turn away potential collaborators, sponsors, companies you want to work with, or whomever else is reached by your negativity. Disappointment is opportunity folks, to get better, to refine your craft, to be positive in the face of defeat. It's easy to give up after major disappointment. The strongest people eat defeat for breakfast and ask for more. Be strong. Be Legion. God Bless!

I've always talked about not looking at your numbers. To clarify, when I say that, I'm talking about looking at your numbers when you're streaming. It's the worst thing you can do, because it can be demoralizing if you aren't seeing what's expected. If you are in a position of wanting to grow to do this full time, it's important to look at your numbers OUTSIDE of stream time. Understanding what games do well for you, what times of day do well for you, and many other data points are good things to know. The thing to consider, is that as you look at those numbers in the context of others, it can really get to you mentally. With the release of Socialblade for Mixer, it's easy to compare yourself to others, which can put you in a headspace of competitiveness and when things fluctuate like they do, you have to be careful not to put much validitation in the numbers and to stay focused on what really matters, the PEOPLE in your community. Numbers are great, but people are better. God Bless!

A lot of broadcasters get hung up on flashy graphics, video transitions and alert packages because they think it's the most important representation of your brand. We're following up on last night's podcast on genuine imitation, because I think it's important to realize that no matter what your graphics, alerts or transitions are, the most important piece of your content is YOU! You are the core tenant of your brand, the person you are, the message you send, the way you carry yourself and how you position your community. That matters way more than the flashy graphics and fancy alerts. My encouragement for you today, is to memorize your value statement, and be able to rattle it off to anyone, anytime, anyplace. Because YOU are the most important asset in your brand, never forget that. God Bless!

I wanted to talk about what it looks like to improve as a broadcaster. There are two major ways you can improve, one is just by doing. The more you do, the better you'll get. You'll be more comfortable in your skin, with your tech, and in handling interacting with people. The second way, is to observe and imitate other broadcasters. I'm not talking about ripping off other broadcasters and doing it exactly the same way, unless it genuinely fits the way your channel works. The key is to make sure that everything you do, whether it's your idea or not, fits your channel's theme and culture. If you notice other broadcasters doing something the way you do it, or as a viewer see another broadcaster doing something the way your favorite caster does it, don't rip them down for it. Embrace the fact that you or your favorite caster is doing something worth imitating. There is nothing wrong with genuine imitation, and the fact is, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. God Bless!

I've noticed over the last few weeks that I'm more passionate about the content I'm creating as opposed to the games I'm playing. I've always been a gamer at heart, I love video games. I love the experiences they create, but I've also noticed that as I've shifted from just playing to broadcasting, that my focus towards my love of video games has shifted. Don't get me wrong, I love playing video games. But I've noticed that as I take creating content more seriously, that my love for video games is changing a bit. My encouragement / "be aware" moment for you, is that as you continue to progress as a streamer and content creator, know that your love of playing video games will mature and change, and know that that's ok. It's almost like marriage, the "fire" you have initially for games, will mature into a steady flame for video games, and that you may find the actual creation of content around those video games is your new fire. Either way, enjoy what you're doing fam! God Bless!

The question was posed in our weekly stream team discussion, "What or who was your reason for getting streaming and how long did it take you to first go live after you were introduced to live streaming?" I thought I'd take a moment to post my motivation for streaming, how I got started, and what drives me to get better! Realistically, I've always had a desire to help people. At it's core, that is the foundation of my live stream. What it has "morphed" into, however, is purely a result of the realization that people need a place to belong. There are too many people on this planet that feel like they don't belong at home, work, school, church or wherever, and the only connection they get is through playing video games with people. And that is why the Dad Cave exists. God has given me a unique set of skills that I can leverage to bring people together in community through streaming. And my hope is to eventually be able to do that on a full time basis. This is my origin story. God Bless!

The Legion is almost 3300 strong fam. Your support is humbling to put it simply. Thank you for the continued support! Now, on to today's topic. Finding your focus on your own content. I've had a lot of folks stop in to my channel, and ask how I get so many viewers. I don't generally have a problem with people asking streaming questions, but what I do take notice of is when people are actively in my chat WHILE THEY ARE STREAMING! My encouragement for you, if you are broadcasting, is to FOCUS on your own content! If you are distracted by what someone else is doing while creating your own content, you are completely ignoring the people who are there. And realistically, you may not even know they are there because your attention is elsewhere. If you want to know the secret to creating good content, it's to be in the moment of the content your creating. Not in someone else's moment. Focus on creating the best content YOU can create, and the rest will come. God bless!

Today I want to chat about effective self promotion. Now I know some folks cringe at the thought of self promotion and I've hammered home the fact that you shouldn't go in someone else's chat and promote yourself. That's not what I'm talking about today. I'm no marketing genius, but there are some basic blocking and tackling of marketing that EVERY broadcaster should do, and it's super easy and effective. If you haven't gone out to every single website you operate on and made sure that your primary content creation site (Mixer, Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram) is linked out there, then you need to do that. I encourage you to cross promote yourself and make sure that your site is linked in every social profile you can, because you never know when someone will happen across it, that wants to see what you do, and then is disappointed when they can't because they can't find you. Put your link everywhere fam, you never know when it will catch you your big break. God Bless!

Today I wanted to give you an update on the weekend and most importantly, I wanted to start doing some "State of the Game" podcasts focused on some of the games we play in the Dad Cave. Which brings me to a state of the game on a game franchise I love, Destiny! Destiny 2 is getting some major quality of life changes over the next 3 to 6 months, as well as dropping a DLC. Weapon slot changes, new content, and things like vault space and multi-emotes will be great, and should give us reasons to get back into the game in a way that feels more like Destiny 1. Overall, after the hype of the Bungie Community Summit and the roadmaps that have been released, I'm looking forward to seeing what the Destiny world has to offer in the future. God Bless!

We all have it, regardless of how confident we might appear. As the family continues to grow and morph into something bigger, y'all are bringing me closer to someday doing this for a living. But with that reality, comes many things that I'm fearful of. Right now, I work for a company that blesses me with the ability to contribute to a 401k, have health insurance, and the blessings associated with someone else managing all those things. When you go on your own, which is what full time broadcasters are, you are responsible to provide all those things for yourself. And given my situation at home with my wife's health, and the fact that as a content creator, no income is guaranteed, there is a lot of fear. My encouragement is to realize that you will have fear, no matter what you do. But embrace that fear, and know it will exist, and then conquer it. God Bless!