Bree — @Breeniya on Twitch — enjoys playing a variety of games, but her current obsession is Apex Legends and beauty! Her community is pretty chill and loves to welcome new people. “You never know what to expect, so tune in for a good time!” says this BroadcastHER Grant winner.

What is your dream as a digital broadcaster?

I want to bridge the gap between beauty and gaming. I want to show everyone that these two industries can work wonderfully together. I especially want to make sure BIPOC are recognized as the trailblazers they are because, often, their amazing content goes unrecognized.

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

This award will allow me to produce high-resolution, quality streams so that people can truly see the work I put into my beauty looks. When it comes to streaming and sharing content, visuals are very important and you truly cannot get the impact of a look from a webcam. So this grant will allow me to be more versatile, put more looks out there, and do things I’m not able to do with just a webcam.

What does being a recipient mean to you?

It means that I am seen and that my dreams are valid. I played in the 1DF x BGGC Apex Tournament and it felt amazing to be surrounded by so many wonderful women and non-binary people. Winning this makes me feel supported and like I can really do anything if I put myself out there.

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

As a community, we need to uplift and put the spotlight on smaller creators because, often, you won’t see these people until they become a larger creator. But if we take a chance on them, they probably have amazing content that could make just as big of an impact as someone who has more numbers.

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

I have faced so many obstacles when it comes to broadcasting. One of the main things that still somewhat challenges me to this day is comparison. If you compare yourself to other creators, it can bring you down if you’re not living up to whatever standard you think you need to be at in your head. You see others hit the milestones that you want to hit — and that can bring you down, too. I am slowly coming to realize that it is not beneficial to keep comparing my journey to everyone else’s. My journey is my own and if I keep working at it, I will reach my goals.

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

Just do it! You do not need to have the best equipment to start broadcasting; that can all come later. I started on an old, barely-running laptop and played very simple games. I built my audience from that and eventually, with the help of my community, I was able to get better equipment. From then on, I was able to offer more variety of content. As long as you’re entertaining (in your own way), the people will come.

How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals?

I stay motivated and focused on my goals by thinking about the community I have built. I have made several lifelong friends from content creation, and I want to continue to do so. I want my community to grow — and it can’t do that if I stop. This pushes me to keep going!