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Erika discusses her Stern factory tour, entertainment industry background, and journey into pinball content creation.
Erika was selected for the Stern factory tour via cold email from Zach Sharpe, alongside a small group of pinball content creators including Retro Ralph, Jason, Ian Jacoby, Rachel and Kale of Electric Bat, and Colin Alshimer.
high confidence · Erika describing the selection process during interview
Erika started pinball in February 2022 when she bought her Lord of the Rings machine as her first pinball game.
high confidence · Erika stating 'I had been in pinball since February 2022 is kind of where I say I started because that's when I bought my Lord of the Rings'
Stern discussed potential subscription or tiered pricing models for Stern Insider Connected but did not disclose specific plans.
medium confidence · Erika discussing what was shared during the Stern factory master class: 'they didn't disclose anything to us, but from what they talked about, it seems like they might not even really know or they're trying to gauge like, would you pay a subscription for the year for the month?'
Erika did not sign any NDAs during the Stern factory tour, only a liability waiver upon entry.
high confidence · Erika directly answering question about NDAs: 'zero really' and later clarifying 'I did sign in to say that I was at the factory. I think there was something that was like a liability'
The person who handed his resume to George Gomez at last year's Expo tour was hired four days before the content creator tour and was working in the metal shop.
high confidence · Erika recounting the story: 'this guy gives his resume to George saying, I'm finishing school soon...And then I'm on the tour and this guy is in the factory and he just got hired. Like he was just like four days from when we went to the factory'
Erika's Pinball Journey channel had not yet hit one year old when she visited the Stern factory.
high confidence · Erika: 'my youtube channel had not even hit a year yet when i was at the stern factory'
Erika has been working in the entertainment industry for about 10 years, spending her first five to six years as a production assistant on movies and TV shows.
“I just got a cold email from Zach Sharpe. He just emailed me and Retro Ralph pretty much, he posted in his video the email, and I think I got something very along the same lines.”
Erika @ ~13:00 — Reveals the selection method for the Stern media tour and confirms Zach Sharp orchestrated the outreach
“I was super happy about it. That's actually something I didn't feel the same as some other content creators...They're reaching out to other people. They're trying to get like more people into pinball because that's something with all of the companies we have now.”
Erika @ ~18:30 — Erika defends Stern's decision to prioritize mainstream influencers over established pinball creators, showing a different perspective from some in the community
“I felt like I got to be the the one fan that got invited along with like the other people because I just haven't really been in this that long yet”
Erika @ ~14:00 — Shows Erika's humility and sense of being an outsider despite her growing influence in pinball content
“I think Stern Insider Connect, as an operator, is invaluable for them. They can find out information. they get alerts if this ramp hasn't been hit in two days.”
Jamie Burchell @ ~48:00 — Highlights the operational value of Stern Insider Connected technology for location operators
“I think that we will see something, but I don't know whether if it's like a month per month per year...I hope it's not something like, oh, pay $2 for this and $4 for this. I'd rather just give a bulk thing, like you get all the things.”
Erika @ ~51:00 — Erika speculates on likely subscription model for Stern Insider Connected, suggesting mid-next year timeframe
“I saw Pinball Jen, and I was like, whoa, this is so cool. She's making, like, stuff that I want to see...someone I feel like I could relate to, like as another female”
Erika @ ~68:00 — Identifies Pinball Jen as an influential female creator who inspired Erika's own content creation
“I felt like there was some things that were missing or some things that I wanted to see more of...when i was searching up pinball stuff that there was like not all the type of content that i wanted to see and also not a lot of females”
content_signal: Erika identifies significant gap in female pinball content creators on YouTube and was inspired by Pinball Jen to fill that gap; notes lack of female voices in pinball media consumption
high · Erika: 'when i was searching up pinball stuff that there was like not all the type of content that i wanted to see and also not a lot of females like i saw a moto she was the first right that i saw doing anything in pinball on youtube'
event_signal: Stern conducted curated media tour of factory for select pinball content creators and influencers; second wave of visitors after mainstream influencer push on John Wick
high · Erika discussing Stern factory visit with selective group of content creators including Rachel/Kale, Colin, Ian Jacoby, Jason, and Retro Ralph
product_strategy: Stern prioritized mainstream influencers for John Wick initial marketing to expand market beyond core pinball community, sparking some community debate about resource allocation
high · Jamie asking about 'big influencer types' for John Wick marketing; Erika defending strategy: 'They're reaching out to other people. They're trying to get like more people into pinball'
technology_signal: Stern Insider Connected gaining adoption for operator use with valuable tracking and alert functionality; potential future monetization through tiered subscription model being explored
high · Discussion of operators John and Taylor using Insider Connected to track machine health; Erika noting Stern discussing potential subscription pricing
machine_intel: Spike 3 platform in development with increased processing power; cabinet design likely to remain standardized; expression lighting expansion possible for future games
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high confidence · Erika describing her background: 'I've been in the industry for about 10 years now and my first like five six years I'd say I'd worked as like a production assistant'
More than 100 new pinball machines were released in the previous year, representing expanded choice for collectors.
medium confidence · Erika discussing market expansion: 'if you bought every machine that came out last year, like that's like over a hundred thousand dollars' and noting multiple manufacturers releasing titles
Erika @ ~63:00 — Articulates motivation for creating content: gap in female representation and specific content types in pinball YouTube
“People. Yeah. Well, that's what I'm trying to say. I mean, I love when people reach out to us and 95 to 98% are very, very positive. Right. And I love engaging because I'm the same person on Mike as I am off Mike.”
Erika @ ~56:00 — Emphasizes authenticity as core to her content approach and community engagement
“I mean, I own two of George's games and I guess I felt like a fly on the wall a little bit more because I just loved seeing the other like content creators like talk to these people and interact with them”
Erika @ ~37:00 — Shows Erika as both a collector and observer during the Stern tour, demonstrating fan perspective
“I have an AA in film production but like I haven't gotten anything else since and I've just been working in it which has been I've been super grateful because I know a lot of other people that aren't exactly like that I have went to school with that got a bachelor's and aren't doing what I'm doing now”
Erika @ ~34:00 — Reflects on career trajectory in entertainment industry without degree completion
medium · Erika: 'from what it seems like is like it's just gonna have more power to do more things...they buy the same cabinet for every game so this way it makes it super easy to just pop each game'
community_signal: Erika reports positive reception in pinball community toward female content creators; contrasts with negative experiences in film/TV industry; notes Bay Area bubble may provide more supportive environment
high · Erika: 'the pinball community it's been very light of what i've felt at least i feel like i'm in this very good bubble in the bay area' vs 'I've had some really terrible experiences' in film
personnel_signal: Stern hired a new employee within days of Expo factory tour; candidate had handed resume to George Gomez during public tour the previous year
high · Erika recounting resume-giver hired 'just four days from when we went to the factory, he got hired and he's like in the metal shop room'
market_signal: Over $100K in pinball machines released annually; market expansion with multiple manufacturers creating choice paralysis for collectors; indicates healthy but competitive market
high · Erika: 'if you bought every machine that came out last year, like that's like over a hundred thousand dollars...I don't think the average pinball collector is spending like a hundred K'
operational_signal: Operators finding Stern Insider Connected invaluable for remote monitoring and alerts; enables proactive maintenance (e.g., ramp hit tracking)
high · Jamie: 'they can find out information. they get alerts if this ramp hasn't been hit in two days. I mean, it's just unbelievable the technology'
design_philosophy: Stern standardizing cabinet dimensions across all games to streamline production; prioritizing manufacturing efficiency over varied form factors
high · Erika: 'they buy the same cabinet for every game so this way it makes it super easy to just pop each game into each thing rather than making a wide body'
sentiment_shift: Mixed community reaction to Stern's decision to prioritize mainstream influencers over established pinball content creators for John Wick marketing; some creators felt overlooked but others recognize market expansion rationale
high · Jamie noting 'a lot of content creators were kind of a little upset'; Erika: 'I can also see their point where they're like, you know, we need to expand our market'
content_signal: Erika leveraging film production background to create YouTube content in pinball space; channel under one year old but already selected for exclusive manufacturer media event
high · Erika: 'my youtube channel had not even hit a year yet when i was at the stern factory which kind of like blew my mind a little bit'