WHY I JOINED TIKTOK

Four years ago, a few friends came to me to ask if I could teach them how to trade stocks. I launched right in: These are charts, these are the technical analysis indicators I use, I take losses at around 7%, depending on the stock and market volatility, I —

They’d all stop me and say, “I don’t even know how to open an account at a … stock … buying … store?”

They didn’t want to be stock traders. They wanted to be investors. They just didn’t know the difference. They’re the same people who are too timid to invest in the stock market because their uncle lost everything “investing.”

But we all know their uncle didn’t lose everything investing. Their uncle lost everything because he was uneducated and got convinced that some ultra high risk penny stock would be his ticket to wealth. Their uncle took a gamble. Not a calculated stock trade with an exit strategy lined up. Not a long term investment in a boring dividend company. A roll of the dice.

One by one, I’d help my friends invest. But why was everyone suddenly interested in the stock market? Because like him or not, Donald Trump wouldn’t stop talking about how great the stock market was doing. And everyone started feeling like they were missing out.

I felt like there had to be a better way to help my friends. And … maybe even strangers on the internet that I didn’t know? If only I was confident enough to be on YouTube. Then I could make videos and help everyone!

So, I propped my phone up against some books and filmed one introduction video … seven times. Each one sucked more than the last. But I kept filming them until I had one that was acceptable. I posted it on YouTube and then immediately deleted it. Even though it was the best of all the cuts, it was still awful.

I donno what came over me, but I was determined to get a video on YouTube. So I kept filming until I had one that didn’t suck. But how would I drive people to my YouTube channel? I’d start an Instagram account and share little screenshots or short videos from my YouTube videos.

After an entire YEAR on Instagram, I had 180 followers and 50 on YouTube while other finance accounts were absolutely destroying me. What did they have that I didn’t have? Lamborghinis? A private jet? I didn’t have that stuff. They were probably all rentals anyway. Or their parents cars.

I was just a stupid little minimalist stock trader with 9 black v-neck t-shirts from Old Navy, living below my means, trading stocks in my pajamas. Maybe this whole content creator thing was just another hobby I’d throw on the “tried it” piie before moving on to something else to kill time.

And then … someone at my gym shouted, “Hey! I saw your YouTube channel!” My eyes got wide and I think I literally even hushed him. I was embarrassed. I knew the videos weren’t good and I didn’t want my gym friends to find out I was a YouTuber.

“You should be on TikTok,” he said.

“TikTok? Isn’t that the app for teenage girls to lip sync in their bedrooms? I’m halfway to 40. Why would I join TikTok?”

He shook his head, “It’s not an app for teenagers anymore. Gary V says it’s gonna take over. You gotta get on it.”

I shrugged. Maybe.

That night, I got on TikTok and posted a video. Within a few days, I had 400 followers and thousands of views. I couldn’t even believe it. The first thing I thought was, my gym friend bought fake followers as a joke. There was no way I had hundreds of followers.

But then I noticed something. There were only a handful of other stock traders on TikTok at the time. And some of them were selling overpriced courses and direct access to them via pricey one on ones. That seemed wrong. Not that I’m against charging for education or information, but it’s just not for me.

I didn’t want to put up a barrier of entry. Wanna learn? PAY ME. I wanted to help people and prevent people from getting ripped off from the surge of course bros and pump n dumpers.

BUT THEY DRIVE LAMBOS! They have to know what they’re doing!! I urged my followers to be cautious of people standing in front of Lamborghinis and I even made TikToks poking fun at it.

My desire was to provide free educational content so people DIDN’T get duped into pump n dump schemes or get rich quick courses. Of course, the folks standing in front of lambos with stacks of cash all around them will ALWAYS get more followers. A lot of people want to learn how to trade and invest. But even more people want to get rich as fast as possible.

And usually, that results in these people getting suckered into a scam. The only person who really gets rich is the one selling the course or running the pump n dump.

So yeah, I have fewer followers than the course bros and the get rich quick bros. But I’m happy with the following I’ve created. And I’m proud of my consistency. I spent this morning scrolling back to my VERY first TikTok and if I’ve been one thing, it’s been consistent. I’ll never give you a wink and a nod and hide behind the “not financial advice” when telling you what stocks I’m trading. I don’t want your money. I want you to invest it.