I have never written a blog before. It's a pleasure to meet you all. - HIVE Introduction
Hello
Hi, my name is Brennan and I'd like to share with you all a little bit about my life and my story, what led me to this place and this point in my life. This is the first blog i've ever made on any website so please bare with me.
The Lore (Backstory)
Where to start? Well, my name is Brennan and I'm a 25 year old from Ohio, USA. I've been a lover of technology ever since my father first let me use the computer when I was a young boy. He has always worked in the IT field so luckily for us computers were pretty much always available. Practically necessary for his line of work. Some of the earliest gaming memories I have are playing Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and the original Call of Duty on PC and I still remember those times fondly. They helped shape me into the gamer that I am today.
Both of my parents played a huge role in my love of music as well. They both are huge fans of Rock and Metal music, which they constantly played and I grew to love. My younger siblings didn't quite appreciate it like I do but the beautiful thing about art is that everyone can appreciate it in their own ways and express themselves however they feel. I found myself in an extremely lucky situation growing up, and I consider myself very blessed to have been able to attend some amazing concerts throughout my life. Shinedown, Three Days Grace, Metallica, Ice Nine Kills, and over the years I grew to love different genres and opened up my mind and found some new favorites like The Midnight, The 1975, Twenty One Pilots, and more.
This may not come as a surprise, but I am a die hard Star Wars fan, a lover of Marvel and DC, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and well, pretty much all things fantasy. I can sit and watch the entire Star Wars Saga easily every few months or so. My father is also to thank for this, I remember the old VHS box set that we had of the Original Trilogy. If only we still had that today, I think it would be worth something pretty decent. I'm always down for movie marathons, but not just sci-fi and fantasy. I also love Goodfellas, The Wolf of Wall Street, V for Vendetta, and many other movies as well. I have well over 100 movies in my VUDU library and still need to watch half of them. I love going to the movies to experience the big screen and seat shaking audio, and to have a few beers with my buddies before hand.
I grew up watching not only the classics like Cartoon Network and Nickelodean, but also the Food Network. I used to watch my Great Grandmother cook in her upstairs "apartment" at my Grandmother's house. She sadly passed away last winter due to Covid, but luckily she was able to experience 96 years of life before she moved on. She was a huge influence in my life, and she was the kindest person I had ever known. I think that's the reason why I have always been one to try and avoid conflict and stay as positive as possible. I am human so sometimes I have my moments but I do try to do my best, especially for her. There are a few recipes that I still try to keep alive to this day and I'd like to think she would enjoy them if she were still here to taste some. Cooking for others is something I have always found myself to enjoy, and I hope to one day own some kind of restaurant or start some sort of E-sports Bar. All of you are invited by the way.
(Definitely didn't cry a little writing that paragraph...)
I consider myself lucky enough to have met some of the greatest friends that anyone could ask for. I've been able to experience many concerts and festivals with some of the greatest people and those are things I wouldn't trade for anything and moments I will never forget. I sometimes feel like I don't deserve them but I realize that I met them for a reason and they have helped me become who I am today as well.
Since I was a kid, from the first moment my parents ever took me inside of a Best Buy I knew I wanted to work there. I had tried to apply a few times after I turned 16 but nothing ever came of it. Eventually I managed to get an interview at a store that was about 45 minutes away, and secured the job after 2 interviews. I started as a PC sales associate, rising to become one of the top sales consultant's in the department. After getting promoted to a Team Leader at a store that was only about 15 minutes away, I felt like I was set. I worked my way to become a key holding Supervisor and had a solid team of wonderful people under my belt. I had some of the best years of my life and made some of the greatest memories and friends during my time there. I also managed to learn a lot and meet some amazing mentors along the way. It's a time I won't ever forget, for the good and the bad.
Throughout my childhood and teenage years I had attempted to make YouTube videos and channels but never really found myself sticking with it. I had always spent a lot of time watching videos on YouTube and then finding myself on Twitch watching live streams. In April of 2018 I decided I wanted to start a stream of my own, and using a name that a co-worker had bestowed upon me and I had used as my gaming alias for years, twitch.tv/xxxZapfBrannigan was born. I had spent a solid 6 months or so grinding to reach Affiliate status, but in the same fashion as my YouTube attempts, I sort of fell out of the habit of streaming and only streamed off and on every few months for the next 2 and a half years. I finally reached 100 followers after 3 years of starting my stream.
What lead us to now
In January of 2021 I left my job as a Supervisor at Best Buy. I didn't have any sort of plan really, but many things built up to the point where I couldn't take it anymore. I had put up with so much and enough was finally enough. Not having a plan sort of took its toll when I pretty much spiraled into a depressive hermit state where I never left my room and never saw anybody. It wasn't until the point where I literally had to move back in with my family because my power got shut off, all of this being my own doing, that I decided that I was the one who put myself in the hole, and I was the only one who could try to get out. I figured since I don't have a job that I would use my time to focus on my main dream, becoming a full time streamer and being able to live comfortably from that. With encouragement from my close friends, I started focusing on streaming again on August 3rd, 2021 and managed to hit 147 followers by October 31st, 2021.
By complete chance, or destiny maybe, I had started to research and play Town Star, a free to play Blockchain game on GALA network, and it wasn't really getting anywhere. One morning after I ended an 11 hour stream, I had started to watch videos on Town Star, which led to videos on Axie Infinity, which led to videos on this game called Splinterlands. I had decided that I might as well try out Splinterlands on stream since it was free to try, not having looked up any streams or videos aside from what I had watched on YouTube. To my amazement, about 30 minutes into starting to mess around and sign up I had started to get some new viewers. Then, my mind was completely blown when a group known as No Sleep Gang essentially raided my stream and started following in huge numbers. Interacting with them was so much fun and they helped me achieve my first Hype Train ever on Twitch. It seems like the feeling I had that morning to watch videos on games instead of go to bed may have actually been on to something.
Although I still do not have a job or source of income, I have been treating streaming as if it were my full time job, and this past week alone has been an incredible experience. I have had the privilege of meeting so many wonderful people who have been helping me learn about the HIVE network and blockchain gaming in general. I'm almost at 400 followers on Twitch and I have learned so much already, with a lot to go. Learning about amazing projects like Splinterlands and Rising Star and the people behind them has been a pleasure so far. I haven't been able to stop thinking about how this past week has gone and what is possible in the future. To anybody who has tuned in to any of my streams, Thank you. Without you, I wouldn't have a reason or motivation to come back and stream these ridiculous 10-14 hour streams almost every day.
A message to anyone who made it this far
As someone who has had many opportunities in life and messed a lot of them up, trust me when I say that if you work towards your goals and dreams, one day the work will pay off. I may not be financially stable at the moment, but I'm lucky enough to have a family that supports me and I know not everyone has the same opportunity as I do. That's one of the reasons I have already tried to give back as much as I can to the community, and will continue to do so as the stream grows. But lately I have a feeling that maybe all this work will pay off. Follow your dreams, and even if you don't believe you can achieve them, I believe in you. Although it isn't money, the feelings of satisfaction and reward can come from other things, like meeting all of you beautiful people.
Shoutout to @drabs587 @cmmndrbawang @rentaw03 @mhowii and so many more for inspiring me to continue my journey into the HIVE ecosystem.
If you'd like to join me at all on this journey feel free to follow me at https://twitch.tv/xxxZapfBrannigan
Thank you for reading my first ever blog post on any website <3
-Brennan
Welcome zapf-brannigan!
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Awesome great to have you on Hive !PIZZA
Thank you (:
PIZZA Holders sent $PIZZA tips in this post's comments:
solymi tipped zapf-brannigan (x1)
@stickupboys(6/20) tipped @sgt-dan (x3)
ruralio tipped zapf-brannigan (x1)
risingstargame tipped zapf-brannigan (x1)
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stickupboys tipped zapf-brannigan (x1)
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Bro this was such an awesome post, so happy to have found out about you and have you a part of this wonderful community. You are gonna do great my friend your energy and vibes on stream are awesome keep and crushing it, and keep posting about it to this is a great place to earn hive as well. Make sure you use some more tags like SPT and ONEUP to get into more eyes so we can upvote these awesome posts.
Lots of love brother,
drabs587
Updated the tags to include those, thanks for the help again brothaaaaa
You made it buddy and a very nice story of yourself. Keep it up we are all here to support each other. I myself also start learning about blogging.
Much love fam.
-Mugi
This may come as a surprise to you, but that Wonder Woman photograph is a cardboard cut out. My dearest condolences.
Awesome post man, a pleasant read really.
Im a Rising Star and Splinterlands player, looking forward to catch one of your streams sometimes!!
!PIZZA
yahooooo bro keep up the amazing work :) Lets get all those bosses in Stream Raiders hehe
Congratulations @zapf-brannigan! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s):
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Hello @zapf-brannigan! This is @jcrodriguez from the @OCD team. Welcome to hive!
Congratulations on making your first publication and introducing yourself to the community. I also play splinterlands. Welcome to the best platform and the best game on this blockchain.
I invite you to explore other communities in this post.: OCD Communities Incubation Program. There is a wide variety of topics. Check out all the communities. If you are looking for tips and information as a Hive newbie, click here: newbie guide. They are easy to understand and useful for learning how the platform ecosystem works.
You may encounter RC (Resource Credits) issues when trying to comment/post because you don't have enough Hive Power in your account yet. You can fix this with a one week temporary delegation through the Gift Giver Site. Another solution is for the person who recommended Hive to delegate some Hive Power to you.
Please be aware that Hive is a bit different from other social media platforms since you are monetizing your blog, so it is important not to include content that you don't own without sources (and it shouldn't exceed 50% of the post). For more information, check this post - Why and How People Abuse and Plagiarise by hivewatchers.
If you have questions or concerns, you can hop into OCD's Discord server and we'll gladly answer your questions.
Excellent introduction, I wish you much success in HIVE!
Hi and welcome to the Hive Blockchain Brennan! 🙌
It was wonderful to hear your story and know that this is your first time writing a blog post! Well done! 👏
It's not easy doing new things but there are so many rewards when we get out of our comfort zones!
You have so many positive take-aways even from the hard times and so I think we can all relate.
It's cool how those loose strands that we call our stories can lead us places we never thought we would be doing things we only used to dream of!
Keep going!
Your learning new things and meeting new people!
That's what this is all about! 👍
@wil.metcalfe
P.S. INCOMING!!!
☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️
Thank you so much, I can't wait to see where this journey leads (:
You really found a good one :) I'm glad he got the welcome he deserves ☄️
Yeah! When I commented and targeted with @Comet.Ranker this post was under $5. That felt good to see someone get highlighted/supported like this! 👍
Definitely!!! And I have a feeling this is someone who could help Hive and Splinterlands a lot ☄️ Gaming will always be popular, whether you pay to do it, or get paid.
!PIZZA !ALIVE
You Are Alive and have been rewarded with 0.1 ALIVE tokens from the We Are Alive Tribe, and it's paid for by the earnings on @alive.chat, swing by our daily chat any time you want.
Congratulations on your achievements buddy! Your dedication and passion are really out of this world man. Wishing you all the best with your carreer buddy! Rock on! and yup Wonder woman is just cardboard.
She isn't a cut out guys... 😅
Welcome Brennan,
Great intro post. Hope you have fun around here.
My tips are:
Find communities you like.
Engage.
Upvote good contents.
Don't plagiarism
Get some time to understand hive power.
Any questions fell free to ask. Community here is very helpful
See you soon
Keep posting.
I have watched your stream yesterday with the marble contest. Awesome stuff, we need more streamers like yourself. Blockchain gaming is about to go really big. You can nicely position yourself now. I see you are using the #oneup tag. Good choice. We are building a Play2Earn news and blogging platform. Right now it is merely a default HIVE outpost but we will develop a new frontend and features. Keep posting, earn ONEUP and grow your stake. The time is now, it will get harder to earn ONEUP over time.
There is a ton of amazing streamers and most of them use the #nosleepgang tag next to #oneup
You find them all here: https://nosleepgang.netlify.app/
congratulations friend Brennan welcome to the hive, here you can interact in different communities according to your tastes, I saw that you really like music also there are communities for it, I hope you feel comfortable.
WOW bud that's one heck of a great introduction, more power and keep up the good work!
Outstanding introduction post. Hopefully my buddy @jamerussell found it and featured it. He is a Marine too (Happy Birthday James you old Leatherneck!). Not here with the GANG but I am sure they would appreciate this post and be happy to get to know you better.
I mentioned @jamerussell and I will tell you why. He is one of the folks of The Terminal. The Terminal is a group of STEEM/HIVE/DISCORD OGs (original gangsters) that have been helping folks navigate blockchain. Their advise and moral support is invaluable. Many influential HIVE folks got their start with The Terminal. You would do well to check them out.
As you like music you may wish to check out @atomcollector, @stickupboys and the @risingstargame. Those folks will welcome you with open arms.
Good fortune on your journey in the part of the Metaverse that is the HIVE Blockchain and everything it has to offer. If I can ever help? I am just a shout away!
Nice! We love him already! !PIZZA
👍
You are so awesome! Was great to meet you at hivefest! !PIZZA
You guys are even more awesome! 🍕 !PIZZA
Man you are a legend! Loved meeting you at Hivefest, you were exactly what we dreamed you to be! !PIZZA
👍
SGT Dan is Alive!!!
Yes I am alive... for now.
Oops. Have some $PIZZA to add to your HIVE Token bag! May come in useful.
Great intro mate. I must admit, I don't really read the intros much, but I am glad I read yours. (Wonder woman helps, cut out or not). You write really well and keep blogging and streaming!
she's not a cut out she's totally the real thing... but thank you! I appreciate you reading my post, that means a lot to me!
Welcome! :)
Now this is a proper introduction! Love it to learn about your story and background! You are lucky to have a family like yours, this is the greatest treasure on earth. Conngrats on all your achievements and we will get all of us to top streamers in no time!
I really enjoy watching yours!
@solymi leave some LUV and PIZZA please!
Much love!! Thanks for the kind words :)
You have been an awesome addition to a community of awesome people. I am sure each and every one of us are very glad to have you aboard. I know I am.
Hey Brennan! You have a great story and you should be proud for having the perseverance to want to make your streaming hobby a full time career. I think that you will succeed ! Welcome to Hive!
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate those kind words!
Happy to have you on hive @zapf-brannigan !PIZZA and !LUV and !BEER as a welcome gift is just what you need. Look at that if all your posts make these rewards you dont need a full time job! Keep up the good work and the awesome streams!
And if ou are hungry take this sandwich!
<><
@zapf-brannigan, you've been given LUV from @solymi.
Check the LUV in your H-E wallet. (1/1)
I am honoured to have come across your stream and met you. You are such a humble person and a real credit to the Hive community.
I love your streams, you have such a calming voice and the way you keep the flow going is perfect!
Looking forward to being with you on your journey which has only just started!
Cheers and rock on \m/
Jux.
!PIZZA !WINE
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Please Stake Atleast 25.000 WINEX Tokens.
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Thank you Jux! It's been a pleasure to interact and play your game so far!
Welcome to the #NoSleepGang Family! Your an instant Celebrity to the family and I can't believe your endurance on streaming. You really took Streaming as your profession. Hoping for your more success on this. See you in the Splinterland Red Carpet soon.
Welcome! I hope to see you more in the 1UP coommunity!
Good intro to blogging! Enjoy the rewards
Yoyoyo! So happy for your progress and growth! Can't wait to see so much more for you. I truly enjoy engaging in your streams, and even just lurking for the cool music.
Keep it up bro! #nosleepgang
have some !PIZZA
Welcome to Hive 🙌If you are interested in expanding into fiction, check out the Freewrite and Inkwellcommunities.
Do also check out @dreemport and @dreemsteem - I noticed you like games and fun and writing, so I hope to see you there :)
Man... I still got to make my introductory post and you put the bar up high😅
Welcome, I enjoyed reading that.
I got enthralled reading... Your vibe is a beautiful one. Mehhh... You're going to do just great...💕
Thank you so much deraaa 💜
Dang! This post Needs to reblog!
It's way moooore better than mine XD
Don't Forget, This is just the start. :)
I'm Glad that you're enjoying on what you are doing with the community.
We will support you all the way buddy with the no sleep gang and RS Community!
All the best you! Cheers!
Yo welcome! I love slay the spire! I'm like ascension level 16 on the first summoner.
Nice story you have there bro !! Glad you could find some of us on that Splinterlands channel on twitch and glad you could get all the love we have been sharing to everybody !! Keep up the great work you've been doing !! Cheers !!
Skynotik