Every story has a beginning. I was fortunate enough to share the launch of my business with VoyageLA in January this year.

The full article is here: VoyageLA Interview

Today we’d like to introduce you to Moto.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a Graphic Designer and Illustrator by trade and I now create graphics and emotes for streamers. I’ve always loved art and video games.

Since the days of the Atari 2600, I’ve been shooting robots, racing cars and running through crocodile infested jungles with the loss of many lives. But I have survived it all! (cuz it’s only a game, right?) When Twitch.tv launched, I was immediately drawn to it.

This new technology meant that I could play games and have people watch and talk with me, like the good ol’ days of arcades and spending the night at my friend’s house playing Super Mario Bros, so I signed up and have been streaming on their platform since 2012. My channel is Twitch.tv/MotoBrigade.

I’ve streamed games such as Street Fighter V, Guilty Gear Xrd, League of Legends, Overwatch, Tomb Raider, and Hearthstone to name a few. I am in a gamer’s paradise, and I have made a lot of friends and contacts through Twitch as a result.

This community that shares a passion for the same things I do has grown around me! It’s the coolest thing. And it’s not just like “Okay, you are having a blast hanging out with your friends, and that’s it.” Twitch has provided a service that a ton of business opportunities have arisen around.

From AAA video game publishers using it as a way to grow their businesses even further to people like me, artists and nerds, who have talents and want to share them with the world. With streaming, you can do exactly that. My talent is making art and graphics, so I am streaming that content as well as gaming. Double win! For Twitch, you can customize your channel (profile page) to reflect who you are as a streamer.

For a lot of people starting out, this can be a struggle if you don’t have the means to make it look like you want it to. As a designer, I’ve created all of my own graphics and given my streams extra flair and a professional look by using banners, panels, video intros, and screens that all shout my brand, MotoBrigade, which has also combined my love for riding motorcycles with gaming and art. I am helping other streamers with their brands as well.

This year, at TwitchCon (which is a giant meeting of thousands of content creators and gaming companies and charities and tournaments and more), I met over 500 new people who stream and watch streamers do their thing and need their channel graphics made. So, when you go to my website MotoBrigade.co, you can shop for all these different pieces of art to make your channel what you envision. It’s a fun process of finding out what each streamer likes and building upon that.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Has this trip been a smooth road? Oh no, streaming and finding an audience has been challenging. I used to have a different name on Twitch, but it was way too hard to say and didn’t really fit my personality, so I changed it to MotoBrigade.

Putting myself out there more and more both in-person and on social media is really what has made a difference. But it challenges the introvert in me. The part that wants to just focus on the art and game has to get more social.

I am also a new father this year (2018). My time is oh-so-precious, and I have to spend it wisely to take care of my family and do my streaming too. I am figuring it out though. It’s part of the journey.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The MotoBrigade Company – what should we know?
The MotoBrigade Company was founded by me in 2016. I design and illustrate graphics for people’s Twitch channels using hand skills, Illustrator, Photoshop and After Effects. I also create graphics for YouTube and Mixer. I’ve done some really amazing work in emotes and shirt designs as well.

What sets MotoBrigade.co apart from others is that I am a gamer and streamer just like some of my customers. I identify with the struggles that other streamers are going through and I want to share what I’ve learned with others. I want to make your stuff look cool.

It’s the best feeling to have a customer say “Ooh! I love that!” about a design we collaborated on, and then they use it on their channel. It’s putting my talents to work, and it’s very satisfying to see them having fun with the graphics I created.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have to thank my wife, Laurence, for helping me start my business. She has great ideas and has been very supportive in getting MotoBrigade.co off the ground. Thanks to Juan Mirelez for mentoring me on what I could do with my career and getting MotoBrigade.co up and running.

I also have to thank Jared and Tiffany of Twitch.tv/UpDownLeftDie for their friendship, helping to spread the word about what I do and giving me the opportunity to do some really fun work for their channel. Thanks to GameDork at Twitch.tv/gamedorkplays for supporting my work and introducing creators to each other with his Great Mindz Project.

I thank my professors and instructors at OSU and AAU for mentoring me in Graphic Design and Illustration. I thank my parents for sending me through school from the start. And there are so many other friends and customers that support me doing what I love to do. Thank you all!

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