Joe Desroches is a US Army veteran. Upon retiring from the army, he started his streaming career and founded Gamerslz.com . Below is the full interview with Joe Desroches.
Joe, Thank you for talking with us. As an army vet, how easy or difficult was it for you to get back into the civilian way of life?
Overall, it was a smooth transition upon returning home from overseas. It did take some time getting used to things not being as organized and my days scheduled with when and where to be. I would catch myself using military lingo quite often as well. However, there were the lingering issues that came up over time and would then be seen and treated at my local VA Clinic. This made everyday life a bit more of a challenge but I continue to adapt and overcome.
How and when did you get into streaming? What attracted you the most about streaming?
I started streaming in April of 2019. What gave me the spark was attending PAX East gaming convention in Boston Ma the month before. I got to watch streamers perform live firsthand at the convention. It was really exciting to watch the interaction with the viewers and high energy. The countless PC desktop builds I walked by were calling my name. Upon returning from the convention, I started to purchase parts to make my own PC build. What attracted me the most to streaming was it was something new and out of my comfort zone. I enjoyed gaming but never done it Infront of a camera with people watching. I figured I’d give it a go and hope to find a new hobby.
What were the initial challenges that you faced in your endeavor?
My initial challenges were where do I begin? What exactly do I need to accomplish this? I did not have any friends who were into streaming, so I relied on the internet. I was in between starting on the platform mixer and Twitch. I decided to break away from console gaming and strictly play games on PC and capture everything with Streamlabs OBS software on Twitch. What was most helpful for me was watching other streamers and asking questions. My biggest influence was Bryan “ReaperofHugs42”. He invited me to his discord, and I found so many others just like me starting out as well as seasoned veteran streamers. Thanks to them I got a good understanding and made Twitch affiliate in June 2019.
How have things evolved for you as a Twitch streamer over the past few years?
Over the past few years, I have grown and learned a lot. In October 2019 I attended Twitch Con in San Diego California. In April of 2021, I attended and graduated from Stream Coach Academy, a six-week bootcamp for streamers. With the COVID pandemic, I feel it brought more viewers and streamers to twitch and other platforms. This could be argued that the discovery was harder with more people streaming. Twitch has made changes with music and DMCA strikes to adding tags to describe a live stream beyond the game or category being broadcast.
Tell us more about your platform Gamerslz.com
In October of 2021, I created GamersLZ.com. This is a news aggregator site that provides the latest trending gaming news from around the web by utilizing third-party links. I wanted a site where you can find the latest news in the gaming world in one place. I envision the site to grow and host local gaming articles as well as post a streamer of the week to be put on the front page. This would help highlight streamers and allow people to easily check out their content.
How do you see the gaming industry evolve in relation to the recent developments in Metaverse?
I am new to understanding the metaverse. I have been seeing a lot of companies jump on as they want to be the pioneers of this. I have played a game called Sandbox which is a game that allows you to play, own, create and manage your virtual space. “Sandbox’s economy is based on user-generated crypto and NFT assets, and it partners with global brands to deliver unique and enriching experiences”. I have seen other games similar to Pokémon which allows you to breed and train monsters and sell for NFTs. Curious to see what the future holds.
We know that you also promote mental health awareness and hold military charities for vets and service members. Tell us more about this.
Yes, as an Army Veteran this is near and dear to my heart. A great organization I work with every May for the entire month is Stack Up. They support US and Allied veterans by promoting positive mental health and combating veteran suicide through gaming and geek culture.
They send out supply crates which are care packages filled with game consoles and games overseas to boost morale as well as to veterans stateside. They offer Air Assaults which is when they send groups of service members and veterans to all-expense paid gaming / geek culture conventions. They also have dedicated teams for outreach and helping in local communities as well as a 24-hour staffed Overwatch program for crisis intervention and peer-to-peer mental health support for veterans and civilians alike, provided through Stack Up’s online community. Another excellent group I’ve worked with is the wounded warrior project WWP. They have a program called stream to serve which helps streamers run charity events to raise money to assist veterans in much-needed critical services and support.
Did the pandemic impact streaming in any way?
The Pandemic brought more streamers and viewers to twitch and other platforms. It allowed streaming platforms to excel with many people working from home or out of work. I was able to support others more as I could work and listen to a stream from home. I was also able to network more and meet great people. For me, the pandemic allowed more opportunities.
Any suggestions you would like to give to aspiring entrepreneurs or soldiers who are about to retire from service?
Follow your dreams, break your comfort zone. Take the leap of faith. I was surprised how many people were also willing to collaborate and coach me along the way. You just need to put yourself out there. Also, don’t be afraid to try new things. For content creation, for example, I would recommend trying different things. Find something you enjoy doing and find your niche. To fellow service members getting out, take advantage of services provided. So many great resources to help transition and get you into your first civilian job. Military One Source https://www.militaryonesource.mil is a great site for finding updated information and assistance. They even have programs such as Boots to Business (B2B) and grants to allow you to become a business owner.
Find out more about Joe Desroches below.
https://www.instagram.com/obiwoncanolii/
