The 6-Figure Video Game Mom: How to Build a 6-Figure Business Teaching Video Games

You know those endless hours you’ve spent perfecting your Fortnite skills or learning how to defeat a Guardian in Zelda games?

There is a chance those skills aren’t just good for bragging rights or racking up likes on Twitch.

In fact, it is possible to make money playing video games without being an online streamer.

I’m talking about teaching video games online, and the demand for these is exploding.

In this “Where Are They Now?” episode, we’re catching up with Devyn Ricks to learn how her business has grown and evolved since we last connected a couple years ago.

At that time, she was making around $4,000/month from her unique online side hustle.

Today, her business has more than doubled, earning her the title of “six-figure video game mom.” She has since expanded her team to 14 teachers.

Tune in to Episode 611 of The Side Hustle Show to learn:

mechanics of setting up classes on Outschool
strategies Devyn used to market her classes
how Devyn identified her profitable niche
connected with her audience

Table of Contents show

Finding Her Niche

Devyn spent the better part of a decade teaching English online to students in China through VIPKid-like platforms.

When that opportunity dried up due to regulations, Devyn switched to Outschool, a platform that offers a variety of online classes for kids across a wide range of subjects.

There, she started with what she knew best: English and creative writing.

As a gamer, though, she found herself incorporating video game elements into her lessons, using games like Zelda and Pokemon to teach descriptive writing and punctuation.

It wasn’t long before her students began asking questions about their favorite video games.

How do you beat this level? What are the strategies for an upcoming boss battle?

This opened up an opportunity, and she started offering social clubs where kids could game together in a safe, supervised environment.

Surprisingly, parents love this. They love that their kids will be accepted, have fun, and also build relationships with other kids.

Scaling the Business and Pricing

This business idea wasn’t completely hers to begin with. There were already several classes in Outschool that offered the same structure.

“If you go on Outschool, there are tons of Pokemon classes,” she shared.

Devyn started small, offering a few trial classes to gauge interest and gather feedback. She targeted her existing student base, many of whom were already familiar with her teaching style.

She set her prices low initially to build a reputation on the platform. Currently, her standard rate is around $17 to $18 per student for a 50-minute class.

This is considering the 30% fee that Outschool takes from each class, so she still made sure that her rate would provide a profitable margin after the deduction.

For example, at $18 per class, Outschool’s 30% fee reduces her revenue to $12.60 per student. With an average of 10 students per class, this still equates to $126 per 50-minute session, which is a highly competitive hourly rate.

Weighing Platforms for Online Courses

Devyn finds Outschool’s client base and marketing muscle so helpful that she doesn’t see the need to focus on building her own independent business from scratch.

No need to haggle for clients or send out automated emails on her own.

Instead, she focused on maximizing her recurring revenue within the Outschool ecosystem.

Currently, she boasts an impressive 300 recurring students attending every single week—a testament to the stickiness of her offerings and the communities she’s built.

To attract and retain students, Devyn also offered coupons for first-time students and special deals during holidays or promotional periods. These incentives helped lessen any price sensitivity and encouraged long-term enrollment.

What’s Driving Traffic/Sales?

Outschool provides a solid foundation for Devyn’s classes, but she understands how important it is to diversify her marketing efforts to extend her reach.

In today’s crowded online landscape, relying solely on a single channel is a recipe for stagnation.

TikTok

Devyn’s TikTok page, where she shares tips on gaming and healthy gaming habits, has garnered a significant following. However, her viral video that hit 300k views was about her looking for new hires.

This is still good publicity, though, as she received 6000 applications over the next few days of posting.

YouTube

Devyn’s YouTube channel serves as a platform for longer-form content, such as gaming tutorials, Q&A sessions, and educational videos.

These videos subtly promote her classes and get her viewers.

I love this YouTube strategy where it’s probably not going to go viral, but it can still solve somebody’s specific problem.

This reminds me of my former guest, Gabby Wallace, who posted English language tutorial lessons on YouTube for her Japanese students.

She did it to easily answer student questions, unaware that it would reach a larger audience.

Media Appearances

Did you know Devyn appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show?

After her local news appearance, she was featured on Fox, after which she was contacted by someone from the Kelly Clarkson Show.

Media coverage acts as a powerful endorsement, and she received a noticeable spike in enrollment and interest in her classes.

Cross-Promotion with Other Educators

An underrated strategy but it works well all the time.

For example, a teacher specializing in math might recommend Devyn’s classes to their students, and vice versa.

Email Marketing and Personal Outreach

Outschool handles all the bulk messaging, while Devyn focuses on sending personalized messages to students’ parents.

She offers special discounts, updates on new classes, etc.

Different Revenue Streams

While Outschool remains the primary driver of Devyn’s six-figure teaching business, user-generated content (UGC) has opened doors to new opportunities beyond the platform.

Companies have reached out to her, requesting collaborations.

Her UGC deals can be lucrative, with rates ranging from $150 to $200 for a 90-second video—and even upwards of $1,000 for larger brands with bigger budgets.

Whether it’s her TikTok, YouTube, or even her Twitch streams, she keeps her brand cohesive and family-friendly.

Parents know exactly what they’re getting: a safe, inclusive space for their kids to explore gaming.

A Day in Her Life

Devyn is slowly moving away from live teaching and is now working on managing her team of instructors while maintaining her brand.

She was teaching about 20 hours a week, but she’s now down to three and planning to get that to zero by May.

She now focuses on admin tasks, such as messaging, payroll, and helping her teachers succeed.

Any mistakes or surprises along the way?

For Devyn, the transition from solopreneur to CEO was a seismic shift, one that forced her to confront her own limiting beliefs and self-imposed boundaries.

So she often finds herself thinking, “I’m not qualified for this.”

Imposter syndrome is the enemy of many solopreneurs. One night you’re an independent contractor, the next day you’re the boss.

Overcoming imposter syndrome is an ongoing process—a conscious effort to silence the inner critic and accept the reality of your hard-earned success.

Always remind yourself, you’re in charge because it is what you’ve built. At the end of the day, you’re going to be the best person to make these decisions.

What’s Next for Devyn?

With a team of 14 instructors (7 newly hired), a community of 300 recurring students, and a six-figure revenue stream, Devyn is just starting.

Her biggest priority right now is filling the schedules of her new teachers. It’s all about innovating, creating more classes, and exploring different avenues to keep growing.

One such avenue is creating self-paced, pre-recorded classes. This format would offer students the flexibility to learn at their own convenience.

It’s a way for parents to purchase the content and have their kids consume it on their own schedule, without being tied to live class times.

This move aligns perfectly with Devyn’s other goal: growing her student base to 400-500 every week.

She also plans to further promote healthy gaming habits and educate parents on the benefits of responsible play.

Episode Links

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