Twitch Creator Builds Sims Business, Advocates for Women Gamers

Entrepreneur: Gemma 

Biz: KawaiiFoxita

Tilt: Sims 4 builder working with custom content & realism

Primary Channel: Twitch (6.5K) 

Other Channels: Instagram (1.5K), Twitter (9.5K), Discord, Patreon

Time to First Dollar: First month

Rev Streams: Twitch livestreams, merch, brand partnerships, Patreon subscriptions

Our Favorite Actionable Advice: 

• Evolve your revenue: Initially, Gemma earned her money through time-consuming custom Sims 4 builds but shifted to more lucrative and less time-intensive streaming. 
• Don’t let the criticism thwart you: As a woman in gaming, Gemma has faced harassment and pushes on for herself and others through Women in Games.
• Pick a platform to build a community: Gemma found engaging with users on Twitter has been very beneficial. 

The Story

When Gemma started streaming her game playing on Twitch, she never expected to turn it into a calling and a business. Now, a year after being made redundant from her job, this Twitch creator streams four days a week, creates custom builds for The Sims 4, a life simulation game, and is pursuing a degree in interior design. (Gemma asked us not use her last name because of online harassment.)

Gemma’s first revenue model was to create and sell custom builds in Sims 4. “Initially, when I was doing commission work for art, I had a set price list, and that only changed as demand went up. It is a lucrative business if you can find the customers and keep up with the demands. However, it can be exhausting and stressful,” she says. 

Since she pivoted to being a Twitch creator, she’s found streaming to be more lucrative. She reached Twitch affiliate status two weeks after she launched her channel and earned her first payment in the first month. 

But Twitch takes a 50% cut of her streaming revenue so she’s exploring other ways to monetize her content such as Patreon, YouTube, Fanhouse, etc. “t’s not as easy as people think it is,” Gemma says.  

“I have considered switching to YouTube to create content, but that has its own challenges. For now, I have the income from Twitch, and I have recently started a Patreon so people can subscribe to me monthly to gain access to exclusive custom (The Sims 4) content builds,” she says. 

Fight the haters 

Unfortunately, Gemma has found that gaming and being a Twitch creator can be challenging for women. “As a woman or femme-presenting person, it’s very challenging working in this industry because there is still such a strong belief that it is ‘by men for men.’ We face a lot of harassment, misogyny, and sexism. There are a lot of cis white men that do not want us threatening their spaces in gaming,” she says. 

To combat this, Gemma has taken an active approach. “I was recently made an ambassador for Women In Games, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for women within this space, because I am so passionate about changing how women are viewed. We deserve better,” Gemma says. In her role, she works to empower women and work with them as a community to take action against any negativity. 

She intends on continuing to stream and make herself known in gaming. “It’s about standing our ground and remaining vocal on the topic, both in my stream and on social media. Sexism will never stop, but we must continue to push for opportunities and make it clear that we are just as entitled to the space as men are. Women belong in gaming,” she says. 

Follow the growth

Building a community is essential for most content entrepreneurs but even more so for streamers. After trying several community-building platforms, Gemma spends her time where she gets the most return. “I spend a vast amount of my time on Twitter, and I have seen the most growth on that platform. Since I started building in The Sims 4 last March, I’ve seen an increase in almost 5K followers. Although there is a lot of talk about spreading yourself out and having various platforms, I have focused on one,” she says. 

“I have been taken very warmly into The Sims community,” she says. “As a content creator, particularly in a community like The Sims, you have to constantly be engaging and taking things to the next level because there are so many amazing creators out there doing amazing things. Although not direct competition, it still means you have to continuously improve yourself to stand out.”

Advice for content entrepreneurs

Her biggest piece of advice? “Be patient. Growth takes time, and cutting corners won’t help you in the long run. Provide quality content, and people will learn who you are,” Gemma says.

About the author

Kimmy Gustafson

Kimmy Gustafson is a freelance writer with a passion for sharing stories of bravery. Her love for world traveling began when her family moved to Spain when she was 6 and since then, she has lived overseas extensively, visited six continents, and traveled to over 26 countries. She is fluent in Spanish and conversational in French. Currently, she is based on Maui and, when not writing or parenting, she can be found kiteboarding, hiking, or cooking.