Gaming and Giving: The Fierce Diva is earning a good reputation on and off Facebook
It wasn't a highly-calculated or complex decision when Michael Reynolds live-streamed for the first few times.
"I would just go live at the drop of a dime," he joked.
Reynolds knew he was inherently funny and entertaining, and he loved playing Fortnite. So it seemed like a natural fit to broadcast his big personality across the world to anyone wanting to watch.
And that spontaneous decision in 2018 completely changed his life.
He originally started on Twitch but moved his broadcasts to Facebook, where thousands of people started tuning in to watch Reynolds, who goes by The Fierce Diva - a nickname he earned in high school.
"It just kind of blew up, and now it's taken a life of its own," he said.
Facebook also took notice of Reynolds' talent and rapid rise. They hired him as a full-time streamer just two years after his first live session.
Now, The Fierce Diva has nearly 40,000 followers on Facebook alone, and he's established a genuine connection with many of those followers.
"With the supporters that are consistent, those relationships are very authentic, and I think they're representative of the relationships I have in real life," he said. "There are some followers who have my phone number, and I talk to them on the phone."
Reynolds' decision to dive head-first into video game streaming is part of a growing trend. With the rise of gaming-friendly platforms like Facebook, Twitch and YouTube, making a living off playing video games is no longer a fantasy.
Every day people are leaving their traditional careers trying to cash in on the gold-rush-like movement of internet streaming.
Reynolds says the key to becoming a successful streamer is establishing relationships with followers.
"While this space is new and is an emerging form of entertainment, it's built around personal relationships that you cultivate among your community members," he said.
As The Fierce Diva continues to build his brand, he's reciprocating the generosity of his followers. How? He’s creating meaningful change for his digital following and home state of West Virginia.
Right now, Reynolds has a partnership with BetterHelp counseling, where he'll cover the cost for any of his followers' mental health therapy services. It's part of his mission to combat mental health stigma.
He's also battling food insecurity in his home state. In February, he teamed up with Mountaineer Food Bank to help supply 100,000 meals to families across the Mountain State.
"With that type of influence where your followers are willing to pay you monetarily, that's a tremendous responsibility," he said. "It's important to give back to those who support you in a tangible way."
Reynolds’ career is just taking off, too. He's earning a positive reputation within the Facebook Gaming community as a leader and creative thinker, setting up a handful of charitable events for Facebook Gaming members.
He's also a member of the Black Gaming Creator Program, which highlights diversity among the gaming partners on the platform.
Because of his partnership with Facebook, he's been involved with some of the company's most significant projects. For example, in 2021, Reynolds and a small group of others met Mark Zuckerberg in an early version of the Metaverse called Horizon Workrooms with a VR headset.
"That experience with him blew everybody's mind," he said. "We were just so blown away with how real it looked."
So as Reynolds and video game streaming continue to grow, it won't be long before the West Virginian is a leading voice in the streaming industry, and we're proud to support his efforts moving forward.
If you'd like to learn more about why Reynolds goes by The Fierce Diva, how he got into full-time streaming, and what the gaming industry will look like in the future, we encourage you to check out his full interview here.
