Entertainment

Two people playing a soccer video game on a TV while holding PlayStation-style controllers in a living room gaming setup.

Gaming to Win vs Gaming to Learn (Why One Builds Better Communities)

Here’s what people get wrong about how I play games. It’s not that I can’t be competitive. It’s that I’m not trying to turn every stream into a TED Talk about my skill level. If you show up expecting elite mechanics, perfect rotations, and some masterclass in “how to dominate,” you’re going to be severely disappointed pretty quickly. If you show up for conversation, chaos, side quests, random opinions, and a chat that’s helping steer the whole thing? Now we’re

RGB-lit gaming setup with curved monitor, open glass PC case, and black gaming chair

Side Quest Thinking: Why Not Everything Has to Be the Main Hustle

Somewhere along the way, we decided everything had to be the thing. The main thing.The monetized thing.The thing you build a spreadsheet around. If you’re not scaling it, optimizing it, or turning it into a “brand,” then what are you even doing? That mindset leaks into everything. Work. Hobbies. Even how people talk about games now. Nobody’s just playing anymore. They’re “building.” Grinding. Farming. Positioning. And yeah, I’m guilty too. Fully. Chronically. But lately, I’ve been noticing something weird…in a

Why ARC Raiders Might Be the Best Brand-Building Game Nobody Planned For

Everyone keeps trying to “build a brand” like it’s 2014. Perfect bios. Forced posts. Cold DMs that start with “Hope you’re well.”Nobody likes that. Nobody remembers it either. ARC Raiders accidentally solved this problem, and I don’t think the devs even meant to. This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase them, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting ChannlerG! Here’s the Thing Nobody Is Saying Out Loud People don’t connect through content

Person in astronaut helmet gaming in a neon-lit room with collectibles and a glowing TV screen

Using Video Games as a Networking Tool (And Why It Works)

I didn’t set out to use video games as a networking strategy. I like playing games. And over time, I noticed something most people ignore: some of the best business conversations I’ve had didn’t start in a meeting, an email thread, or a LinkedIn DM. They started mid-game, with a headset on, talking about nothing important at all. That’s the part people miss. Heads up! Some of these links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission at

Close-up of a desktop keyboard and office workstation with a monitor in the background, representing work, productivity, or digital business.

Why I’m Chasing Freedom (Even When It Feels Risky)

Most people hear “stable paycheck” and think security. I hear “trading my time forever” and feel anxious. That doesn’t mean traditional jobs are bad. It just means I’ve never been wired that way. I’ve always wanted: flexibility ownership creativity freedom the chance to build something mine The problem? That dream sounds a lot cleaner on paper than it feels in real life. Why Traditional Work Never Fit Me Well Let’s get one thing straight: I respect people who love their

Person in a black shirt holding their head with a large clock replacing their face against a dark background, symbolizing stress, burnout, time pressure, and feeling overwhelmed.

Avoiding Burnout While Building a Brand (& Protecting Your Mental Health)

I used to think burnout looked dramatic. Like: Breakdowns Complete exhaustion Some movie scene where someone finally snaps and throws their laptop into traffic For me, most of the time, burnout feels way quieter than that. It looks like: Checking analytics before you even get out of bed Feeling guilty while resting Trying to relax while your brain keeps whispering, “You should probably be working.” Slowly turning the thing you love into another source of pressure And if you’re trying

Curly-haired dog chewing on a bright yellow toy while laying in the grass at sunset.

Beckham, the Only ChannlerG Member Sick of Screens

There’s one member of this whole ChannlerG thing who did not sign up for any of this. He didn’t approve of the website, the social media accounts, the endless hours of gaming, or the sudden urge to optimize everything in life for “content.” His name is Beckham, and he is 1,000% over it. This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. But Beckham and I only recommend products we believe in and

How Gaming Helped Me Grow as a Person & Entrepreneur

If you had told me years ago that gaming would teach me some of my biggest life and business lessons, I probably would have laughed and gone back to grinding another Camo in Call of Duty. But here I am, building a business, growing a community, and applying things I’ve learned from my hobby to everything I do. And no, I’m not talking about how to “get good”. Because let’s be real, out of all my friends, I’m the worst

Why Gaming Became a Family Tradition at Our House

Some families have movie nights. Others have board game nights. Our house? …Gaming! Not because we sat down one day and decided it would. It just happened! One game turned into another: The kids got older Katie picked up a controller Friday nights became Fortnite nights Random afternoons became LEGO sessions And before we knew it, gaming had become one of the easiest ways for all five of us to spend time together. Some links in this article may be

Golf: Why Do We Choose Hobbies That Hate Us?

You ever pick up a hobby thinking, “This is gonna be fun,” only to realize you just signed up for four hours of emotional abuse? Welcome to golf, where you can go from feeling like Tiger Woods to questioning every life choice you’ve ever made in the span of a single hole. And yet, for some reason, my friends keep making me do this… For some reason, I keep making me do this. This may have something to do with