Daily Inspiration: Meet Naomi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Naomi.

Hi Naomi, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey in video games started when I was just a little girl. My brother had all of the retro consoles. NES, SNES, N64, Gameboy – you name it. Him, myself and my sister would play games like Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Snap, and Super Mario, to name a few. Gaming has been part of my life since. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on GameCube was pivotal for me because it was the first long RPG game that I completed on my own as a kid. My love for video games has never left, and was a constant as I grew up through all of life’s highs and lows.

In 2018, I created an Instagram page just for fun. I wanted a place where I could post all of my clips from Destiny 2. It was the first ARPG/FPS game that I really, truly got invested in (and learned how to properly shoot). I enjoyed making fun little edits and taking screenshots of my character. My community grew and as soon as I knew it, I had a large following of like-minded gamers. This catapulted my work in gaming. In April 2021, I started streaming on Twitch. With the support of my Instagram community, close friends and family, I reached Twitch Affiliate not long after. My streaming and content creating continued to grow, and brands started reaching out for partnerships and collaborations. Xbox Canada, EB Games, LG, Intel, Staples and Microsoft to name a few.

I’ve also had the most wonderful opportunity to attend gaming events locally in Toronto (Xbox Fan Fest, Canadian Game Awards, Fan Expo, Game Launch events etc.) and even out of the country (Los Angeles, California for Summer Game Fest and more). I’ve made so many friends just through gaming itself. Friendships that will last a lifetime. Gaming changed my life in the best way possible.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not. Before I started streaming, I contemplated for a long time because I felt I wasn’t capable of doing something like that. A lot of my internalized insecurities and fears were holding me back from doing something I had never done before. I ultimately made the jump because of encouraging folks in my circle telling me I could do it. And I’m glad I pushed past those insecurities because I wouldn’t be where I am today without this being apart of my story.

I have also been met with some sour experiences with people in the gaming industry. Back in 2022, I worked with a certain gaming organization and ended up stepping down after a few months. I was met with a severe lack of communication and unprofessional encounters, but the worst part about that experience for me was the feelings of exclusion, invalidation and belittlement. It was an incredibly discouraging road bump in my gaming journey because this group preaches empowerment; yet behind the scenes, I saw and experienced first hand the complete opposite. This taught me a lot about how I deserve to be treated and what the true meaning of empowerment is. True gaming industry empowerment is not only important on the surface – the optics, the recognition and the praise – but in the places most people don’t see too. The planning, the work ethic, the way people treat each other. These are important foundations for anything, but especially for gaming organizations who are looking to be inclusive. Despite experiencing this, at the end of the day I’m glad this was part of my journey. Since then, I have learned that not everyone is on your team, but there are so many people who are, and I choose to lean into those who cheer me on, as I will for them.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The umbrella term for what I do is Content Creation. But I like to weave in my own identity in all of that. I always told myself that no matter what I would be able to accomplish, I never want to lose who I am within it. I want to be honest about navigating life and the struggles I face. It’s easy to be lost in the facade of social media perfection. I decided to stay true to myself and create at my own pace. Sometimes even share deeper thoughts or vulnerable experiences in hopes that maybe someone needed to hear that. And I am grateful that so many people have reached out to me to say that they related, or that they saw me, or that everything is going to be okay. It goes beyond a love of gaming. I believe this is what sets me apart. I’m not like other creators because I don’t create content for numbers or followers. Sure, those accomplishments are great. But I do it because I love it. I’m not the type of creator who films and edits a post everyday. There’s this hustle culture that content creators chase. That’s just not me. I’m not a fan of burning myself out just to try and gain exposure. I want to love what I do.

I am so very proud of what I have accomplished in the last 5+ years in gaming. Here are some notable ones:

– I’ve had the opportunity to be a Jury Member for the 2026 Canadian Game Awards – helping select nominees and winners for Canadian made games.
– I worked with Microsoft to film a short series on Surface Laptops and Tablets at the Microsoft office in Toronto.
– I was featured in Staples Canada Back to school magazine in 2022 with my gaming gear recommendations.
– Working with Xbox Canada on numerous occasions has been a dream. Getting to attend in person events and receiving amazing, personalized PR mail packages.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
There has been a huge conversation on the digitization of physical game copies. It’s a sad reality especially for gamers who are collectors and enjoy having physical copies of games on hand. This is the direction the industry is headed but I hope that physical copies don’t leave us completely.

Furthermore, there has been a lot of shifts in regards to accessibility in video games. I notice it’s a bigger point of conversation and video game studios are generally, more often taking into consideration the accessibility options for their games. My sister has an intellectual disability and AuDHD. We’ve always loved gaming together but sometimes games are too hard for her to actually play. At times, it reaches the point where she gets too frustrated. I find myself wishing I could change some of the options for her, but the options are just not there. I believe gaming is for everyone, and people of all abilities and skill levels should feel included in these gaming experiences. I hope to see this department grow more in years to come and I have hope that it will.

Pricing:

• I have pricing on my media kit for any potential partners, but that doesn’t have to be listed here.
• You can mention that brands can reach out to me by email for inquiries

Contact Info:

• Instagram: naomilasagna
• LinkedIn: Naomi Laserna
• Twitter: naomilasagna
• Youtube: naomilasagna