Known as the East Coast Cabincore Queen, @ThePracticalEscapist uses her creative vision to bring culinary creations to life. With a special focus on baking and vegetarian meals, this BroadcastHER Grant winner has a flair for the rustic and homemade and combines her love of cooking and nature with gaming, storytelling, and entertaining.

What is your dream as a digital broadcaster?

I want to be a show host or guest, a cookbook author, and eventually a Twitch and YouTube Partner.

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

I am getting significant equipment upgrades which will allow me to restart my YouTube videos and remake the early ones with much higher quality. The upgrades will also vastly improve my streaming setup and overall quality. This has been sorely needed for awhile!

What does being a recipient mean to you?

I am beyond humbled and honored to be among the recipients this year. It means so much to me that 1DF looked at my content and my situation and decided I deserved a boost. So many talented broadcasters apply for this grant and to be among the chosen is not something I take lightly. I could really go on for a very long time about how much this means to me — but I think the clip that 1DF took when they surprised me with the news on my stream says it all!

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

This fund is an amazing initiative. But we can also ensure we are lifting each other up, celebrating each other’s successes, and fostering a sense of community over competition. These things will continue to prove that we’re out here and we’re doing great things — together and individually.

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

Discovering I wanted to become a broadcaster after having children has been a challenge as it’s something I’ve had to dance around — schedule-wise and content-wise. I want to make sure I am focused on my family life but also pursuing my own goals. This has led to a little bit of FOMO if I can’t do specific events or stream as much as I’d like, but also makes me feel a bit of mom-guilt. I feel like it’s a bit hard to gain my footing when I don’t have as much time and energy to stream as my peers. Also, my girls are, of course, my number-one financial priority, which means that equipment and other upgrades often need to be a slow trickle — or have to be put on hold altogether. Streaming equipment is expensive!

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

Just go for it! Don’t wait until you have your ideal equipment or setup. Build a community that’s based around people who enjoy what you’re doing now and go from there. Rebrands happen. Change happen. The people who like what YOU are doing will stick with you through it. Don’t focus on perfection — start while you’re excited to start.

How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals?

My community and my family keep me grounded. I have a lot of self-doubt issues and the ongoing positive feedback I get from streaming is the reminder I need that I am doing something worthwhile. I love to make people laugh and entertain others, so the opportunity to do that every time I hit the “go live” button ensures that I don’t talk myself out of it.

In addition to all of this, I love to be creative, so getting to make something with my hands and create something both delicious and pretty is rewarding for me.

Lastly, raising money for charity and putting good into the world with my community gives me a sense of purpose and drive.