Devyn Ricks, The 6-Figure Video Game Mom, shares her journey of teaching video games online, growing her business from $4,000/month to six figures. Topics include setting up classes on Outschool, marketing strategies, identifying a profitable niche, and connecting with the audience. Insights on leveraging video games for teaching, building community, and navigating the online class market. Exploring scalability, self-paced classes, pricing strategies, and business growth through platforms and experts.
Transforming video game skills into profitable online teaching business
Building a loyal student base through personalized connections and diverse course offerings
Expanding business through strategic pricing, platform leverage, and brand collaborations
Deep dives
From Video Game Enthusiast to Educator: The Journey of Miss Devin
Devin, a mom of four, transformed her love for video games into a successful side hustle by teaching kids online with a unique twist. She started with outschool.com, combining video games with education, and gradually expanded her classes. By listening to student requests, she built social clubs for gaming, leading to a significant increase in business from $4,000 to six figures.
Diversifying Offerings: Expanding Beyond Traditional Subjects
Devin's success came from diversifying her course catalog beyond traditional subjects to gaming-oriented classes. By connecting with students individually, building relationships, and promoting her teaching team, she established Miss Devin's video game universe. Through self-paced and live classes, she catered to students' diverse needs and interests, attracting a loyal following of over 300 recurring students.
Scaling Strategies and Future Growth
Through strategic pricing and scaling efforts, Devin focused on adding more classes, exploring self-paced options, and expanding internationally to enhance her student base. Leveraging Outschool's platform and recommendations, she aims for further growth by optimizing class offerings, fostering a robust community, and venturing into new educational avenues with a vision for continuous innovation and enhanced student engagement.
Outschool's Valuable Marketing Expertise and Impostor Syndrome
Outschool's 30% fee provides immense value in terms of marketing and client management, outweighing the challenges and costs of creating an independent platform. Despite considering a standalone website for self-paced classes, the speaker appreciates Outschool's client book and expertise, emphasizing the importance of having experts handle crucial aspects of the business. Additionally, the speaker reflects on the significant role of imposter syndrome in transitioning from a teacher to a business owner, highlighting the process of managing teachers and decision-making as a growth journey.
Utilizing Social Media and UGC for Revenue and Brand Expansion
The speaker leverages platforms like TikTok and YouTube to drive enrollments, communicate with potential customers, and expand brand visibility. By creating engaging content like hiring announcements on TikTok, the speaker attracts thousands of applications and subsequent enrollments. Moreover, the speaker discusses venturing into user-generated content (UGC) collaborations with companies, exploring new revenue streams and establishing a consistent family-friendly brand image across platforms for parental engagement.
You know those endless hours you've spent perfecting your Fortnite skills or learning how to defeat a Guardian in Zelda games?
There is a chance those skills aren't just good for bragging rights or racking up likes on Twitch.
In fact, it is possible to make money out of these games without being an online streamer.
I'm talking about teaching video games online, and the demand for these is exploding.
In this "Where Are They Now?" series, we have once again Devyn Ricks from missdevyn.com share how much her online gaming teaching business has grown over the last years since we talked in Episode 499.
When Devyn and I connected a couple of years ago, she was making around $4,000/month.
Today, her business has more than doubled, earning her the title of "six-figure video game mom." She has since expanded her team to 14 teachers.
Tune in to Episode 611 of The Side Hustle Show to learn: