How Tricia Rufus built a massive following through her Health and Fitness live videos
Tricia Rufus of Fitness Food is one of the hardest working people I know; she’s always either streaming on Twitch or working her day job. I caught up with her to find out more about her channel.
Can you tell me a bit about your background and where you're based?
I am based in Sydney, Australia. I am a qualified Nutritionist, Naturopath and personal trainer.
Previously I worked in the corporate world and was feeling very unmotivated in life. I always had an interest in health and fitness, especially since fixing many of my own health problems through diet and lifestyle changes.
I decided to leave my corporate job to become a full time university student and went on to complete a Cert IV in Fitness and a Bachelor of Health Science in Naturopathic Medicine.
At the same time, I started a Facebook community called Fitness Food to motivate myself and others, which has now grown to over 510,000 foodies interested in health and fitness.
How long have you been on Twitch and what made you decide to start streaming there?
I am very new to the Twitch world. I previously had made recipe videos on YouTube but really enjoy the immediate interaction you get from a live audience. Video editing is not my thing! I feel like live-streaming is very authentic and I love answering people’s health questions on the spot!
My first livestream on Twitch was on the 26th January 2017 (Australia day this year) I made healthy versions of traditional Aussie cuisine. I have not stopped streaming on Twitch since.
Before Twitch I was one of the first Facebook Live Streamers, streaming Q&A's and healthy cooking workshops. I received a lot of great feedback however I felt that this platform was not developed as well as Twitch was in terms of building a community. I came across Twitch creative and knew this was the home for me.
Can you explain your channel and what type of content you stream?
My audience describe my channel as "The healthiest place on Twitch".
There is a general stereotype that gamers are not fit or healthy. I saw this as an opportunity to educate and hopefully motivate this audience to make some positive changes in their life. We create "gamer fuel" - healthy food for gamers that is "nutritious, delicious" and easy to re-create.
How often do you stream and what’s the format of your show?
I live-stream on Twitch 7x a week.
My stream schedule is as follows -
Monday, Wed, Fri (9.30am & 7pm AEST) I start these days off with a gym workout and then go home and prepare for a healthy cooking workshop from my kitchen. I show my audience how to prepare post workout healthy food for optimal health and results.
Sundays (10AM AEST): I take my stream for a healthy social eating experience at a cafe or restaurant. This shows them how to order healthy food while out!
How long did it take you to build up your audience?
I started one of the first Fitness and Health pages on Facebook currently at 510,000 followers in 2012, so I have been building an audience for the past five years. I have over 8500 followers on Twitch and have been live-streaming there for the past 6 months.
What was/is the toughest part of live streaming?
I really love every aspect of live-streaming; however, on the internet where people are not really identifiable you have to expect some "trolls". This comes with the territory but most people are genuinely there to learn and enjoy the streams!
What is your favourite Twitch feature?
My favourite Twitch feature is that you have the ability to customise your own emotes (emojis) and create a story based on your channels experiences.
I love this as it allows you to build a community type vibe.
How do you monetise on Twitch and how has that changed your life (in a financial sense)?
I live stream because I love it but the great thing about Twitch is that people have the option to subscribe to your channel and donate if they appreciate your work. Your community supports you!
I offer my subscribers a weekly online magazine link that provides them with a workout they could do at home and 10x healthy recipes each week that we also prepare live on the show. They receive a new online magazine from me each Sunday. I am not a full time live-streamer. I also work as a nutritionist.
If you had any advice for someone starting out, what would you tell them?
I would tell them to create content that inspires and motivates them. When you do things from your heart people really dig that and can tell.
What is your long term goal for Twitch?
My long term goal is to grow my subscriber base and be able to make streaming my full time job.
Tricia’s Twitch Channel >> Twitch.tv/FitnessFood