Social Media Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How JT Laybourne and Ed Delmore Are Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
ED: Kindness is the career path I’m now pursuing. Not just on TikTok, Instagram, or any specific platform. Being kind most of the time is easy, getting others to accept kindness can be very difficult. Remain humble, genuine, and true to yourself and you will succeed.
JT: I share content that is uplifting, funny, heartfelt, and genuine. I create content that makes me happy and/or smile. To lead by example. In hopes of encouraging others to love who they are and to be proud of who they are.
As a part of my series about leaders who are using their social media platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing JT Laybourne and Ed Delmore.
JT Laybourne defines what it means to turn every obstacle into an opportunity. With a loyal following of over 1.6M on TikTok, JT uses his platform to share the message of positivity and kindness with the world. Founder of “The JT Way”, JT lives life to the fullest showcasing his beautiful family, his amazing community and his inspiring attitude to “Go make someone smile”!
Everyone’s favorite “Dude” from TikTok, Ed Delmore is also known as “EdDudez” has curated a community of 768K people who turn to his channel for positivity, kindness, and that epic wink. With a mix of content highlighting the true meaning of kindness and his own personal story, Ed inspires the world that kindness can go a long way… you just have to see the point. Once you meet him, you will see that he is more than just a dude… he is an inspiration to us all.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?
ED: I wanted to raise $500.00 for the American Heart Association in honor of my buddy JT Laybourne. I went LIVE on TikTok that night and my followers donated nearly $54,000.00 in ninety-four minutes.
JT: A while back I was determined to learn some of the more challenging dances on TikTok. I happened to see Jason Derulo post a phenomenal dancing video. So I spent ALL DAY learning the dance and getting the timing and angles just right. I posted it and the next day Jason Derulo had commented on it as well as shared the duet on his page. I was blown away to say the least!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
ED: Honestly, I wouldn’t have picked the name “eddudez”. I never thought I would post any content, and didn’t realize what this would turn into. I simply thought, “my name is Ed, I am a dude, and I’ll put a “z” on the end”. Definitely suggest putting some thought into your username. You never know what could happen!
JT: A gentleman on the app was Live one day and I popped in to say hello! I was conversing with him in his Live and made a comment about how awesome it was to have met him in person a few months back at an event I held. To my surprise, he said he hadn’t attended that event. That was the moment I realized he looked a lot like a fellow creator on the app. I was completely embarrassed! He was really cool about it, making a joke about how many times he’s been mistaken for the other guy. All I could do was apologize over and over. I felt so bad. But I definitely learned to make sure you know who you’re talking to before you speak.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
ED: Kindness is the career path I’m now pursuing. Not just on TikTok, Instagram, or any specific platform. Being kind most of the time is easy, getting others to accept kindness can be very difficult. Remain humble, genuine, and true to yourself and you will succeed. If you are pursuing a few followers, virality, or fame for the sake of it I think you will fail in the end. You may hit those milestones, but what does that really mean at the end of the day? Pursuing something positive that you believe in and doing it for YOU will make you successful. Making one person’s day is much more rewarding for me than a bunch of views on a video that has no real value.
JT: I was blessed to have a golf trick shot go viral back in 2016. It ended up on Sportscenter’s top 10 and every other sports show on ESPN. It launched me into the social media “influencer” role almost overnight. I began repping different golf companies’ clothes/clubs/hats etc. Since then, I’ve grown from the golf world into the world of spreading positivity and kindness. Being a full-time creator can take its toll. The more you grow the more challenging it becomes. You can never please everybody. And the quicker you learn that and learn to create content for yourself. The easier it becomes to navigate the everyday evolving social media life.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?
ED: I’ve been blessed with the most amazing friends & followers any person could ask for. It’s a little hard to explain until you actually see it. We’ve been able to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity, we’ve bought Amazon wish lists, we’ve uplifted those around us. If we want to make a significant impact we have and will continue to do so.
JT: I share content that is uplifting, funny, heartfelt, and genuine. I create content that makes me happy and/or smile. To lead by example. In hopes of encouraging others to love who they are and to be proud of who they are.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?
ED: I’m sorry, but there are too many to name just one. All I know is the love and support I’ve seen in this community has changed my life completely and is changing the lives of those who are involved daily.
JT: Funny enough it’s the gentleman I am on this #KindnessCAN journey with right now. When EdDudez joined during the pandemic it didn’t take long before people started tagging us in each other’s videos. Everyone kept saying how much we look alike and that we needed to connect with one another. We both created very different content at the time and neither one of us had much of a desire to connect. The reason being is I had joined the app two years prior. I was on a mission to spread kindness, love, and positivity. As Ed will say, he joined the app out of boredom. He had no intention of ever taking it very seriously. Was never going to dance or cry on a silly little app. And here I am doing all of those things. So naturally, we didn’t care about the others’ content. But one day, after being sent his Live numerous times by different people, I decided to pop in and say hello. The man I saw on the other side of the screen was not what I was expecting. I saw a very heartfelt, caring, loving human being. I saw someone who was going to make a huge impact on a lot of people’s lives. I made a video letting people know I just found my long-lost brother and that he’s currently living. To stop in and say hello. That was the moment Ed and I became best friends. I watched as hundreds of people filled his live with all the love and all the kindness. It was amazing. The rest of the story is being written as we speak.
Was there a tipping point that made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?
ED: Kindness is much more rewarding at the end of the day. Knowing that I’ve made a difference or have brought someone out of a dark place makes it all worth it. I love getting views, and followers, just like anyone else. But really making an impact on someone if fulfilling.
JT: In 2018, my 13-year-old niece became very depressed. She started saying things that were alarming and having suicidal thoughts. It became known that her “friends” were making fun of her Instagram posts. They started teasing her about her appearance. Making fun of her because her posts were “only getting a couple of likes” and saying that it’s because nobody really likes her. When she mentioned something to another close friend it caused it to only magnify. They began telling her that she might as well kill herself because everyone would be better off. I watched the toll this bullying and harassment took on my niece. And so I wanted to spread love and positivity. I became dedicated to lifting people up and helping others see their beauty.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
ED: We only need to do one thing to fix most of the world’s problems. Love your neighbor and use that love to influence your decisions as much as humanly possible. It’s not that complex.
JT: That’s a great question. Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer. I have some ideas that I’d love to share with those in power. All I know is it will take just about everyone coming together to change the narrative of the future.
What specific strategies have you been using to promote and advance this cause? Can you recommend any good tips for people who want to follow your lead and use their social platform for a social good?
ED: I feel so blessed in life. When I get that feeling I try to record it and post it. Not so much for me, but to hopefully inspire more good in this crazy world. I often see creators say they don’t owe anyone anything. Personally, I feel like I owe everyone a whole lot. Make sure you’re genuine, humble, and kind before you try and use social media to show it to the world. If your genuine people will know within the first few seconds.
JT: To simply lead by example. And the most silly of all things silly is “The Golden Rule”. To treat others as you wish to be treated. We learn this as kids but so many seem to forget it as we get older. After that, it just stays the course. You will constantly be encountered by people who wish nothing more than to break you. Remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. And then push on!
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
ED: Get some rest — I slept very little after downloading TikTok. At least for the first six months. I was having way too much fun and connecting with so many people. I could have used a little more sleep though.
Embrace kindness — I didn’t download to make an impact. I downloaded to have fun and to forget some of the pain I was going through with quarantine.
Don’t give out your cell phone number — I gave my cell phone number to everyone that asked for it in the beginning. I had some interesting things happen with that. I’m a little more careful now.
Don’t respond to hate — Luckily, I have a really good track record with this one. I’ve responded to “trolls” on occasion but have always tried to do so light-heartedly. I’ve seen that responding to hate attracts more of it. It’s hard sometimes, but I don’t respond to hate, and I get little if any at all…on my platforms.
There is Hope — My wife and I struggled with infertility for over 5 Years. I used TikTok to drown out some of the pain. Social Media and the communities that we were able to create helped me so much. We’re expecting a baby girl in the coming months.
JT: Nothing comes to mind at the moment.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
ED: I’m working on it every day. I want the world to be a better place for my daughter. I want everyone to help me with that. That’s it.
JT: To be kind to one another regardless of what our differences may be.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
ED: Always be a little kinder than necessary. It’s how I go about my day.
JT: For every obstacle, there is an opportunity. Having open-heart surgery during a pandemic knowing I’d have to go through it alone. But doing so knowing my story could inspire others.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
ED: The person that feels alone and really needs a friend at this very moment. The person that needs someone. I want you to know that you are enough and I’m glad you’re here. I love you. Also, I’m more of a dinner guy if that’s ok?
JT: Tiger Woods. As a diehard golfer, I’ve watched him go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. The good the bad and the ugly. Witnessing him accomplishing things that shouldn’t have even been possible along with overcoming adversity. Through his greatness, we’ve also been reminded he is human. I’d love the opportunity to sit down with him.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
ED: Tiktok.com/eddudez — Instagram.com/edspreadslove
JT: @jt_laybourne on all socials as well as www.thejtway.com
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Social Media Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How JT Laybourne and Ed Delmore Are Helping To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.