Canada-based Soulsborne streamer @dashofdale calls herself a “walking melly” — but you may have to tune into her stream to figure out what that means! This BroadcastHER Grant winner also loves playing rogue-like dungeon crawlers, RPGs, and platformers.

What is your dream as a digital broadcaster?

My dream is to be a full-time entertainer and to inspire others to express themselves fully.

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

It will help me upgrade my equipment and finally dedicate offline content for YouTube!

What does being a recipient mean to you?

I am so honored that my application was chosen. It meant that someone read it and said “I believe in you.” To be recognized as a recipient means that I can inspire someone in the future, too.

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

We must continue to provide opportunities, including grants and sponsorships for underrepresented people and also highlight them. We must share their stories and lift them up. The only way their voices will be heard is if we give them a platform to speak and breakdown the stigma that they do not belong in these spaces.

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

Ever since I was a child, I have been bullied for being different. I never knew why I couldn’t fit into places and why I was such an easy target for the bullying. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized that I was never meant to fit in, I was born to stand out.

There will always be people who doubt you; people might laugh and they may even be mean. However, none of that matters if you believe in yourself and know that you have something special to offer — and that can never be replaced. I am grateful that I learned to believe in myself and my abilities and acknowledge all my talents, rather than trying to conform and turn the lights off on who I am completely.

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

There is never a perfect time to start, so you might as well start living the life and creating the content that you want NOW! Many of us wait until we’ve lost weight, or look a certain way, or have all the desired equipment before we even get started on making the content that we want. How will we ever be enough if we don’t even give ourselves the opportunity to try?!

When you start off, you will make mistakes and things won’t be perfect. But that’s the beauty of finding yourself and gaining confidence. As you grow, your content will grow and when you look back, you will never regret just taking a chance and starting!

How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals? 

I have a business degree with a double-major in Finance and Accounting. I work in corporate and I’ve almost completed my CPA designation. While that looks great on paper, it’s not where my passion is. I stay motivated to pursue my dreams because that’s what leaves my heart feeling full and my soul feeling fulfilled. When I’m doing what I love, it doesn’t feel like work and I have a lot of fun doing it.