Episode 18 - Side Hustle Haven - Twitch

Self Starter

I’m interrupting your regularly scheduled Self Starter program with a side hustle episode. I’m not sure what I’ll call these types of episodes just yet but I want to give you all some more ideas of how to earn some extra money. Not everyone has the desire to completely immerse themselves in the self employment world or they’re ready but there are plenty of ways to ease in and get a feel of the what the possibilities may be by earning small amounts of money on the side. Who wouldn’t want to earn a little extra money? And it’s even better when it’s something you enjoy.

So have you heard of Twitch? Twitch is a live streaming video platform which launched in 2011 as primarily a video gaming platform. Over the years however its been utilised by all sorts of people doing things that they are passionate about such as music, art and other forms of entertainment. I’ve even been made aware of a guy who video streams his turtles, which you’ll hear more about in this episode.

Personally for me I don’t know a great deal about Twitch so I thought I would call on the assistance of two friends who are avid users and have made some money from it. James and Jonno, both from Tasmania (that wasn’t planned) both stream their video games and love of pop culture via their channels. I spoke with both of them in this episode about how and why they got started, what makes a successful twitch user, the money they make and what they do with it and their general views of the platform and what they have personally got out of it.

Now I’m no gamer and I know many of you may not be either but I really encourage you to keep an open mind and think about how you could potentially utilise a platform like Twitch or video streaming in general to possibly earn a little bit of extra money or even to add to your existing business.

James (stay_frosty641) - Twitch | Discord |

Jonno (goodoldjb) - Twitch | Discord |

What did you get out of this episode? Here’s what I learnt;

1. The Social Aspect - Both James and Jonno found communities of like-minded people through the video streaming platform. Not only is this great on a personal level to be interacting with people who share similar interests but its also a great networking opportunity which could lead to other opportunities in the future.

2. It's not just about the games - We covered the various types of ways you could utilise video streaming so what could you do? Is there something you enjoy doing on a regular basis that you wouldn't mind others to tune in and watch you do? Think about your passions and how video streaming could help you share these passions with others.

3. Consistency - We all like consistency in what we do and many successful people have used consistency to deliver value to others. This is no different with Twitch. Both James and Jonno have regular streams throughout the week which brings a perception of reliability and understanding to the audience. I certainly experience the benefits of consistency through my podcast episodes! What are you doing in your business that could be better executed with some more consistency?

4. Feedback - Like any good business, consumer feedback is critical to gauge whether you are on the right track or not. Through enthusiastic interaction with their audiences, James and Jonno are able to get feedback from their viewers on what they like and don't like. With that feedback they can make constant improvements to their channel and continue to build their audience.