We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Hurles and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Working in content creation, YouTube, podcasting, writing, etc isn’t easy . People have the misconception that it’s not real work, and you do very little and you get paid for it. It’s just simply not the truth. I’ve worked in many different fields of work since the age of 14. It’s the hardest, most stressful thing I’ve ever done, especially if you’re active on every major platform. It’s also the most rewarding and fulfilling thing I’ve ever done outside of music.

It takes a very long time to get to the point of making any significant money, and you have to grind every single day. I haven’t taken a day off in over 2 years. I specifically work in the pop culture, gaming, and tech space. Like any other community, there’s a lot of toxicity amongst viewers and creators. You just need to find the right niche, ignore the negativity, and do it the way you want to. The biggest goal should be to have fun and foster a positive community, which I’ve accomplished.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
It’s hard to define what sets me apart specifically. My goals when starting Game Junction specifically were to build something that outlasts me, every single form of content, and build an amazing community. I don’t see many, if any, offer every form of content from writing, photos, short form content, long form, streaming, podcasting, and more. I think my drive despite battling health issues for many year and to this day all sets me apart in a unique way.

I got to where I am today by joining the Official Nintendo NSider forums in around 2004 (somewhere around there), and it just progressed from there. I started writing many years later, and catapulted to what I’m doing now. It wasn’t easy, but it as was fun!

I’ve learned the lessons of patience, constantly allowing yourself to learn, listen to advice, and be kind. My brand is just something that wants to set itself apart from others, and build something that outlives me.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to thank everyone who’s supported my personal content as just me, and the amazing Game Junction community as a whole. Game Junction has brought a lot of people passionate about pop culture, gaming, movies, anime, and content creation in the most positive way possible.

There’s too many individuals to thank here, but I want to thank my daughter, my family, all the fans/viewers/listeners, all the conventions that invite me out as a guest, Lucas Shumaker, Mark Trobough, Josh McCarthy, Ed Ford, Todd Friedman, Paul Niemeyer, and there’s so many others. Also a big thank you for anyone who’s given me any opportunities along the way, and encouragement.

Website: https://linktr.ee/gamejunction

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gamejunctionmedia?igsh=MXAwOWM2enljaGFoeg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Twitter: https://x.com/gamejunction1?s=21

Facebook: Facebook.com/gamejunction

Youtube: YouTube.com/@gamejunction

Other: The GameJunctionpodcast.com https://https://www.tiktok.com/@gamejunctionmedia

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutOhio is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.