Ep 482 Moderating Livestreams with Cool Kicks - An Interview with 7th Grader "G"

Well, hello. Today is September 7th, 2023, and this is Wes Fryer, and I am here with 7th grader G, as he will be known as, who has been doing some absolutely amazing things, I think, on the internet with livestream moderation.

So, G, welcome to the podcast. What is Cool Kicks, and what the heck have you been doing? Because you just told me the other day about this, and I thought, oh my gosh, how many 7th graders are involved in something like this? It's pretty unusual, I think.

So, first of all, thank you for inviting me. So, Cool Kicks is a shoe store, or they have three stores so far, but they're about to expand.

Currently, they have a clothing store on Melrose Avenue, a shoe store on Melrose.

Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, and in Virginia, they also have a shoe store. That is where they started.

And they are about to make an online marketplace called Minaswap.

Hmm. That's just for their products?

No, there's going to be sellers that will sell on here. They're going to have the lowest seller fees.

So, they're not making shoes, they're selling shoes.

They're selling shoes by, like, Jordan and Yeezy and stuff like that.

Okay. So, it's a marketplace for, are they lots of high-end, would you say, like, sports and athletics, or does it run the gamut of all kinds of things?

It runs everything from, like, slides to Jordans.

Wow. Huh. How did you learn about them, and what do you do with them?

So, they were just on my YouTube For You page, that artificial account.

Oh, I didn't see it.

Gave you a recommendation.

And I said, let's try it.

Okay.

And so, since then, I have been in love with sneakers, and when I saw that they were on Twitch, I was there the first day that they did it.

And what kind of a Twitch or live stream, what is the experience like when they do a live stream?

So, the camera is at the buying counter.

Okay.

And it is led by mainly two people.

John and Frankie.

Okay.

And they are employees at Cool Kicks, and so they will buy a shoe, and then if they think it's a unique shoe, they'll show you the background and stuff like that.

If not, they'll show it to you and, like, show you the price and what they're going to price it at.

So, can people buy it live during the show?

Some people, but not everyone.

But only, like, I've seen...

I've seen a moderator do it, and I've seen a VIP do it.

So, kind of, this is marketing.

This is basically getting the word out about shoes, and they're doing this to let people know what their new products are, basically.

Yeah.

Okay.

Have you ever heard of QVC, the shopping channel?

Oh, yeah.

It kind of reminds me of that a little bit.

Yeah, almost.

Because it's like an online QVC, but it's specific to their company.

And, I mean, is their main goal to basically hype the shoes that they're selling?

So that people are going to want to buy them?

Is that what they're trying to do?

No, I think they're trying to build, like, a community.

Okay.

And they're giving their, like, they're spreading their knowledge of the shoe.

And sometimes they'll be like, I'm pricing this here, and kind of, like, teaching us about it, and, like, why they'll buy it.

Share knowledge, yeah.

Sharing knowledge, building community.

So, you are a moderator for the live stream.

Correct.

Let's first talk about how did that happen, and then what does that actually mean, as far as what you do?

So, as I said, I was there on day one.

On Twitch?

On Twitch, yeah.

Okay.

Kick, they have just started doing.

Like, we're still in the building process.

Right.

But, um.

How long ago was this, when they started?

I think.

I think in January of 2023.

Okay.

So, not that long ago.

Yeah, just this year.

Okay.

Um, and they, I've just been there since, and then they just kept on recognizing me, and they're like.

So, there were moderators that had came before me, but I was the first, but they all, like, gifted or stuff.

Gifting a sub is $5 per sub.

I have never gifted a sub.

What does that mean?

So, so.

Subscription is, um, $5 on both Twitch and Kick.

A pro of Kick is you get, like, it's a way better percentage that you get than Twitch.

But, um, the, so you pay $5, and you get ad-free viewing.

Mm.

Only subscribers, most of the time, can be in giveaways.

Okay.

And it's just, uh, overall cleaner experience.

Because you don't.

You aren't broken in with those ads.

So, it's a way to basically be a full member of the community.

Yes.

And that's one of their goals in building the community, is for people to be able to subscribe and join.

But when you said $5 gifting subs, what does that mean?

If someone's feeling like, oh my God, this person, or is, like, always here, I'm gonna spend $5 to give them a sub.

Okay.

Or you can just be like, I'm gifting subs.

Like, 20 subscriptions to random people in the chat.

Huh.

But you haven't actually done that as a moderator?

No, I haven't.

I was the first moderator to get that, to be a moderator without gifting.

Yeah.

Interesting.

Okay.

So, what does it look like during a live stream?

How often do these happen?

And then, are you the only one?

There's others?

How does it work?

And what are you doing?

So, it is, it used to be, like, four days a week.

Now, it's five days a week.

Oh, wow.

Sometimes six.

Oh, my God.

And he turns on the camera and just immediately starts buying pretty much everything.

Now, he's buying stuff?

Yes.

But where, is he, where do the products come from?

I guess I need to watch one of these.

So, people are coming into the store.

Uh-huh.

So, Nike shoes, they buy, you can buy the shoes on sneakers where you're entered in a pot.

And if you're, like, and they choose random.

Okay.

And then, the shoe price goes up.

Huh.

And then, so they'll sell it to Cool Kicks at a higher price and make profit.

So, is he buying physical things in his store in Los Angeles?

Yes.

Okay.

And so, people are coming into his store with a shoe and he's buying stuff?

Yeah.

That's what he's doing on the stream, is he's buying the shoes and then showing it to us.

Wow.

Who knew this was even a thing?

Have you bought some shoes from them before?

Yeah.

So, I went out there for my birthday.

Okay.

And I bought two pairs of shoes.

All right.

My two favorite pairs of shoes.

Wow.

And I may or may not, like, this is one of the benefits, I got a shot, like, they have

a basketball hoop.

If I made the shot, I got $200 off.

Okay.

And he gave me two chances.

Yeah.

And I switched it on the first one.

Awesome.

So, what was that like?

What was that like having virtually interacted with these people?

And then, like, because how many months would you say went by before you, because it was

the summer.

So, you started in January.

So, it's about six months?

Yeah.

Six to seven months.

And...

I'm just making sure we're still recording.

We're all good.

Oh, yeah.

So, what was that like?

Because you had just virtually interacted with them before.

It was cool seeing them in person.

And so, normally, only celebrities are allowed to go back and forth.

But I had to go back into the vault.

Okay.

It's just where they have all the shoes.

He took me back there, and I had to, like, look at all the...

Special access.

Yes.

Cool.

What's been the most challenging part or the most challenging incidents, would you say,

of your tenure as a Twitch and Kik moderator?

This moving over to Kik has been really hard because John, the streamer, doesn't know that

much.

Right.

So, we have to help him a lot.

And Kik has...

It's a beta right now.

So...

Glitchy.

Yes.

He couldn't get on one time.

Yeah.

Right.

And we had to, like, control the people and stuff.

Yeah.

And then...

How many people, like, would come to a stream?

What's a normal...

Like, a number?

Twitch, roughly five to seven hundred.

What?

Oh, my gosh.

Kik, it can get up to, like, near to...

Near and over a thousand.

Whoa.

And so, those are folks who...

Yeah.

So, those are folks that are interacting live, chatting, and then do you...

Not all are chatting.

Do you...

Do you have a chance to see what they say before it goes into the stream, or do you

have to, like, see it there and then, like, delete it if they say something that...

We have an auto-mod of, like, it kind of determines, like, this is borderline, or this is not good,

and it puts it in front of us on, like, a...

Okay.

Right.

And then, I...

And then, us moderators can say, allow or deny, and if we deny, we can time them out

or ban them.

How many other moderators usually are on a live stream now?

So, we do have one robotic moderator called Nightbot.

Really?

Uh-huh.

Okay.

He's there 24-7.

All right.

And he's the one that sends it to us if it's not...

But you say robotic, like, it's an algorithm.

That's not a...

It's an algorithm.

No human.

Wow.

Hmm.

And so, five others.

So, you said the spamming is probably one of the more challenging aspects, too?

Yeah.

Also, during giveaways, people will try and spam, so we have Feared Out Away called, like,

they have to wait sometimes two seconds, sometimes five, we choose how long in between each message.

Okay.

But we never have that on unless we're doing a giveaway.

How...

And you do giveaways pretty much during every live stream.

Yeah.

That's a part of them.

Yeah.

What are the benefits to you besides, obviously, this experience, and I'm sure it's pretty

exciting to be participating in this?

Yeah.

So, when I went out there, he was, I kind of got an extra thing.

Yeah.

Another thing is that he'll probably read our messages no matter what.

Uh-huh.

Opposed to a normal chat.

You'll have access to him, basically.

Yeah.

And we...

Yeah, that's pretty...

Are you interested...

You know, we have an eSports program now for high school, and we're looking at having a

club and getting some stuff with middle school.

And so, I think being able to moderate live events and sports events and eSports, is that

something that would be of interest to you?

Obviously, shoes is not sports, but still, it's live streaming and moderation.

Yeah.

But I just love the constant, like, I'm like, I am helping you.

Yeah.

Really, I am helping you do this.

Yeah, you're in the middle.

You're making it happen.

Wow.

What would you say your future goals are as far as like learning, or it could be college

or professional?

Do you know at this point?

A lot of seventh graders don't know, so it's okay.

I want to continue in this tech type stuff.

Okay.

Yeah.

I'm up to...

Of course, I'm looking at, with tech, you look at a bunch of Ivy Leagues have good ones,

MIT...

But I'm not 100%.

Have you done any robotics yet?

A little bit, but not much.

I will be taking a class, I'm pretty sure, this spring.

Are you? Good.

Okay, have you done the coding class yet?

I did computer programming.

With Alice? You did that one last year?

Yes, correct.

We're going to have to kind of wrap up, I think,

because we're both going to have to go to class.

But advice for others.

If other people are interested in possibly moderating for someone

or just kind of following in your path,

what advice would you have them?

Or for people who are doing it now,

because people may listen to this that are moderating.

So if you want to do it, commitment.

Commitment is key.

Like, the more, if you show yourself as a good,

like, you're always there,

you never say anything, like, offensive or anything,

they'll...

Build a good reputation for yourself.

Yeah, build a good reputation.

That will help you.

Okay.

And if you're a current moderator,

keep doing what you're doing.

And now, as I see, it's a good amount of work.

Yeah.

And just have fun with it.

Awesome, awesome.

Well, good luck to you, G.

Thank you so much for the interview.

And we'll include show notes to Cool Kicks.

And anything else, you know, show note-wise

that you think people might be interested in?

This is a world that I'm aware of a little bit,

and I've done some live streams for a few things,

but nothing like the scale of what you're doing, so...

We'll also link the thing to a minus swap.

Yes, their new store.

Their online marketplace.

Yeah, absolutely.

So we'll give them as much amplification as we can.

All right, well, thanks so much, and good luck to you.

Thank you.