I grew up in Toms River, New Jersey, a beach town where the biggest excitement was usually the summer crowds and Friday night football. Great place to grow up, but probably not the kind of place where you’d expect a content creator to get their start.
But that’s kind of the point. You don’t need to be in LA or Miami to start creating. You just need a phone and something to say.
The First TikTok
I posted my first TikTok in November 2020. It was a sentimental photo montage, nothing crazy, nothing that screamed “this kid is going to go viral.” Just something personal that I wanted to share. I was fourteen years old and honestly had no idea what I was doing. I just knew that I liked making videos and I liked making people laugh.
Back then, TikTok was still blowing up. Everyone was stuck at home, scrolling endlessly, and the platform was handing out views like candy. I didn’t have a strategy or a content plan. I just posted what felt right: skits, lip-syncs, random lifestyle stuff, whatever made my friends crack up.
When Things Started to Click
Somewhere around 2021, things started picking up. I was posting consistently on my kyleisviral account and the numbers were growing. One of my videos ended up getting over two million combined views, which at the time felt absolutely insane. I remember refreshing the app over and over watching the numbers climb and thinking “wait, people actually want to watch this?”
That was the moment I realized this could be more than just a hobby. If millions of people were willing to watch me be myself on camera, maybe there was something real here. I talk more about those lessons in my post about what I wish I knew before going viral.
Moving to Florida
My family moved to Naples, Florida, and the change of scenery honestly gave my content a whole new energy. Southwest Florida has this laid-back, outdoor vibe that just works for the kind of stuff I like to create. The beach, the boats, the lifestyle. It all became part of my content naturally.
I enrolled at Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers and jumped into sports right away: varsity football and baseball. People always ask me how I balance being a student-athlete with creating content, and the honest answer is that both things feed each other. Sports taught me discipline and consistency, which is exactly what you need to grow on social media.
Growing Beyond One Platform
As my TikTok grew, I expanded to Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Each platform has its own personality. TikTok is where I reach new people. Instagram is where I connect with my community on a deeper level. Snapchat is where my close audience gets the raw, unfiltered behind-the-scenes. And YouTube is where I can tell longer stories through vlogs.
Right now I’m sitting at nearly 10K subscribers on YouTube with over a thousand videos across all formats. On Instagram, I’ve built a community of over 43,000 followers. And on TikTok, my kyleisviral account has been the engine behind it all.
What Toms River Taught Me
Looking back, growing up in a regular town actually gave me an advantage. My content connects with people because it’s relatable. I’m not filming from a mansion or flexing expensive stuff. I grew up at the Jersey Shore, moved to Florida, play sports, run a car detailing business, and make videos. That’s it. And that’s enough.
If you’re sitting in your hometown right now thinking you need to move somewhere special to start creating, you don’t. Start where you are, with what you have. That’s exactly what I did, and it brought me here.
Where did your creator journey start? I’d love to hear your story.
About The Author
