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Calling all gamers, vloggers and YouTube enthusiasts, Brianna Arsement is the positive-vibes influencer you *need* to pay attention to in 2021. Boasting over 12 million followers across platforms, Brianna has solidified her place as one of the internet's premiere female gamers. Brianna's passion for spreading joy and positivity has led her to encourage other young girls to follow their dreams and pursue their interests—especially if it means getting more girls interested in gaming. 

If you're as obsessed with Brianna as we are, keep reading to learn all about her greatest inspirations, philanthropic efforts and plans for the future.

GL: Why did you begin making YouTube videos?

Brianna: I worked in the hospital as a registered nurse for like three years and I met my husband through a co-worker. Preston has been on the YouTube platform for nearly 11 years, so he is awesome at what he does. He suggested I give it a shot because of my background in theatre, so I prayed on it for a really long time. I didn’t want to only change career paths because of what my husband did, I wanted to really have a passion for it. Eventually I felt like I needed to do this, and now I feel like I'm exactly where I need to be. Even though it was a bit of an unconventional way to get here, I definitely love what I do.

GL: Do you feel like the YouTube community was supportive of you when you entered the space?

Brianna: My goodness, it has been amazing to have this support system. Preston is such a YouTube veteran at this point. He has such great advice and so many amazing creator friends, so I already had a foundation with him, but now I have really gotten to grow and expand my relationships within the community. I’ve gotten close to a bunch of the female creators because there aren't that many of us. Any time I meet another girl in the space it’s like, “Yes! I have to be your friend.”

GL: How did you get into gaming?

Brianna: I am an only child, so I grew up only playing single-player games. My husband plays multiplayer games, and we were like “We’re married, let's play together.” From there, I started my Minecraft Channel where I also play some Roblox. It’s been so cool! Unfortunately because of COVID we can’t be with people right now, so it's neat that when you’re gaming you’re basically hanging out with people. When you connect over the internet it’s like you’re hanging out with your friend, but you're still safe because you are in your own space.

GL: Do you have a favorite style of video to make?

Brianna: I love playing Minecraft on my gaming channel. I have a group of amazing people who help build my maps. Basically, they create the map and I give them a story like “I’m going to sneak into Preston’s Minecraft house for 24 hours.” I give them bullet points about what I want the map to look like, and as a team we make it happen. On my vlogging channel, my style is just family-friendly fun. Whether I’m making a huge lego house in my pool or hiring people to bring exotic animals to our warehouse, my Vlog channel focuses on anything fun.

GL: Who are some of your biggest inspirations?

Brianna: For vlogging, I absolutely love Dude Perfect. They’re an amazing group of Youtubers who spread a lot of joy and have a great energy about them. Gaming-wise, I honestly can’t choose one specific channel. I love watching different creators because of their various styles and games. People like SSundee and LazarBeam do a variety of different things, so it’s always fun to do research and discover new games.

GL: What happens on the business-side of running a successful YouTube Channel?

Brianna: It is crazy, we have over 40 employees now. We have grown a ton and we’ve been able to find the most amazing people and bring them on with us. We have an editing, pre-production and creative team. All of our merchandise is run through our warehouse so we also have a huge team there who fulfills the shipments. It’s been really cool, we just got a new office so that we can all spend time together once we can. Right now we’re in the same building but mostly in Zoom meetings in our own little spaces.

GL: We know you have done a lot for women involved with gaming, so could you tell us a bit about your livestream benefit for the Starlight Children’s Foundation?

Brianna: I love the Starlight Children’s Foundation because they bring smiles and joy to children who are stuck in the hospital. I have a merchandise line and they just released a hospital gown with my logo on it. Starlight also gives the kids video games! 

Since I have that background in nursing, it is a big part of my heart. I worked with this program to have a benefit for them, and then I brought in really strong women to show people that the world is changing and gaming is not a gender-based thing. There are so many amazing female creators pushing the envelope, and what better way to use my platform than to be able to spread that message and influence the younger generation?

GL: What advice do you have for other girls who want to get involved with gaming?

Brianna: A lot of us are doing our best to show that gaming is no longer a gendered thing. If you have a passion for gaming, go for it. There is this misconception that you have to spend a ton of money to get started, but you can definitely make it work in other ways. If you have a webcam and a laptop, that’s all you need. There are already so many virtual things going on that this is the perfect time to use your skills and abilities to try.

I’ve gotten quite a lot of comments from little ones who are like “Bri you encouraged me to do a gaming channel,” so if you have a love for gaming, have confidence and monopolize on it, because people will see it through the screen. Have confidence and stay grounded, because no, not everybody is going to love everything you do, but if you love what you do, that’s what matters.

GL: What is the biggest lesson that being in the limelight has taught you?

Brianna: Being humble is so important in my opinion. I believe that I was placed here for a reason, so I want to keep showing people that I am grateful. I would also say staying grounded is really important, because as long as you have fun with what you’re doing, you don’t have to please every single person, just yourself! I also love looking at other influencers as friends, because while some might say we’re in competition, I just don’t view things that way. I have so many amazing friends in this space and we’ve learned so much from each other. I think if you learn to grow with other people, you'll benefit in the long run.

GL: What are your plans for the future?

Brianna: I am pursuing a passion project! I grew up doing music, so I am going to slowly start integrating some singing into my channel. Eventually, once Preston and I decide to have a family, I’m hoping we can have a little family channel.

Images via Instagram.

Love what you've learned about Brianna? Keep up with her latest adventures by following her on Instagram or subscribing to her YouTube.

by Claire Hutto | 3/9/2021