When most people think about gaming, content creation, or online business, they picture big cities.
Los Angeles.
Dallas.
Atlanta.
Somewhere with giant conventions, esports organizations, and creators everywhere you look.
Probably not Springfield, Missouri.
I used to think that mattered.
I thought being in the Midwest was a disadvantage.
That if I wanted to build a brand around gaming, content creation, and business, I needed to be somewhere bigger.
Now I think the opposite.
The Internet Changed Everything
The reality is that most of what I’m building doesn’t happen in a city.
It happens online.
My website isn’t limited to Springfield.
My streams aren’t limited to Springfield.
The people reading this aren’t limited to Springfield.
The internet removed a lot of the barriers that used to exist.
Twenty years ago, location mattered a lot more.
Today?
Not nearly as much.
Springfield Is Growing
One of the reasons my family is staying here is simple:
Springfield keeps growing.
New businesses.
New neighborhoods.
New opportunities.
It’s big enough to have opportunities and small enough that relationships still matter.
As someone who has spent years in real estate, that’s something I’ve always appreciated.
Gaming Looks Different Here
No, Springfield isn’t an esports capital.
And that’s okay.
What I’ve found instead is a community of people who genuinely enjoy gaming.
Parents introducing their kids to games.
Friends getting together online after work.
People streaming, creating content, and building communities from their spare bedrooms.
That’s a lot more relatable than trying to become the next professional esports organization.
This is why I always say thatBuilding a Community Beats Going Viral
What ChannlerG Became
At one point I thought this site might revolve around tournaments.
Or esports.
Or competitive gaming.
But as I kept building, I realized something.
What interested me wasn’t esports.
It was people.
The stories.
The hobbies.
The communities.
The businesses people build around things they care about.
That’s what ChannlerG became.
And honestly?
I like this version better.
Check out how this guy Made $245K After Streaming His Game for 4 Years
Why Location Matters Less Than Ever
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the last year is that you don’t need to live in the perfect place to start.
You don’t need:
- the perfect city
- the perfect setup
- the perfect network
- the perfect timing
You just need to start.
The website didn’t care where I lived.
The streams didn’t care where I lived.
The blogs didn’t care where I lived.
The only thing that mattered was showing up.
I’m still learning plenty of lessons after One Year of ChannlerG: Here’s What I Got Wrong & Why I’m Still Here
Final Thoughts
I’m proud to be building ChannlerG from Springfield.
Not because Springfield is some hidden gaming capital.
Because it’s home.
And if there’s one thing I’ve learned building this site, it’s that you don’t have to be in the center of everything to build something meaningful.
You just have to keep building.
No matter where you are.