Asteroidea will be the first to tell you that she eats, sleeps, and breathes gaming and Twitch. And, that’s not hard to see with one look at the World of Warcraft enthusiast’s channel; she even has her own illustrated T-shirts and hoodies available for her fans. After all, she considers her Twitch community her family and fosters a positive, inclusive environment for all. What she also has is great advice for fellow females in gaming. Read on, and be inspired by her encouraging perspective.

What is your dream as a digital broadcaster?

I am going after my dream to stream and I love to community build! I strive to support the community by fostering a positive environment in which members are encouraged to play games together, jam to music, and bond as a stream family.

How will the BroadcastHER Grant from the 1,000 Dreams Fund help you reach your goals?

It is helping me to attend conventions and achieve my community-building goals.

What does being the recipient of the BroadcastHER Grant mean to you?

It means I can attend my favorite convention — TwitchCon! While there, I will get to meet other streamers and the many friends I have made within the community!

Women are underrepresented in gaming, broadcasting, and e-sports. What can we do to change this?

We need to make our presence known. There are many of us out there. So, we can friend, host, shout-out, and raid other women streamers on Twitch. In fact, do all of the above! We must strive to support each other in all the ways that we can.

What are some of the challenges you have faced along the way?

Being a PvP’er [player versus player] in WoW [World of Warcraft], I have often faced a lot of men focusing on my gender over my skill ability within a group — especially in higher PvP rating groups. Instead of looking at the hours I spend playing and streaming, they rather chalk it up to me being a woman to explain why I have viewers. But, I consider my stream as my family and we are there for each other. Much of the PvP harassment comes from in-game interaction with PuGs [pickup group] verses on Twitch chat. I believe Twitch has made huge efforts to support women streamers. I would like to see game companies — like Blizzard — support us more within the game community, as well.

What advice do you have for women who want to start broadcasting?

Here is my advice: You are beautiful; you are talented; and you are going to kick butt! Don’t let anyone gloss over your sparkle! Shine on and do your thing! There will be trolls; there will be bullies; and there will be times when your stomach clenches from what people say. However, that doesn’t define you; you define you. There are so many amazing people within the gaming community who are supportive, loving, and genuine. Those are the people within the community who make streaming one of the most amazing experiences out there. Don’t give up and continue to fight for your dream to stream.

How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals?

I have wanted this so badly and I have gone all in! I eat, breathe, and sleep gaming and Twitch. I am continually striving to get better and make things better for my community. I use my data to make improvements and I talk to my family who are very supportive of my dream. My community also praises me and I don’t want to let them down. I love them and I am eager to do this professionally.