Social Media Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How Vincent Gao Is Helping To Change Our World

Be original, be consistent, have a group of friends that have a similar mindset, invest in yourself, and be more decisive because time kills. Be original: When I started tiktok, I tried to copy many dancing tiktokers. That never worked for me. It was funny because I spent three whole months wasting my time trying to get better at dancing. It just wasn’t my niche. It wasn’t until I started making prank and comedy videos people came pouring into the channel. I just needed to do something that was more my vibe and my type of personality instead of trying to copy what other people were doing.

As a part of our series about leaders who are using their social media platform to make a significant social impact, we had the pleasure of interviewing Vincent Gao.

Vincent Gao is a 21-year-old Chinese-American vlogger and social media influencer from New York. Vincent garnered much of his popularity through the app TikTok where he accumulated over 5M followers and posted a range of comedic videos. From there, he founded and established a popular brand YAWAWE is, an entertainment company popular for its prank videos, comedic stunts, and vlogs.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Yes, it was shortly after musically was brought over by Bytedance and was renamed Tiktok. I was making casual videos, but I always deeply loved social media and wanted to make it far. My social media career took off shortly after my break up. A friend I met online asked me to visit Florida and start making videos. I took the chance and dropped out of college because I knew from previous apps like Vine that nothing lasts forever. From there, that’s when everything took off.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

The fact that I started this career changed my outlook on life and started making it interesting. Initially, I thought I would go the corporate route, finance, and banking industry. I was the always following-the-rule type of guy. During the beginning developments of my social media, I learned that there’s much more than following the guideline; people tend to view you differently in a more positive way now; they would also invite you to sleepovers at their places, you get into random strangers’ house parties, clubs, boats, etc. They’re so unexpected. But I think that also has to do with character development.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. 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?

Mistakes are great. Looking back, I thought they were hilarious. I used to think going LIVE on Tiktok was a way to grow a following. That was when I only had 400 followers. I would spend 8 hours going LIVE daily just dancing and listening to music because I kept seeing many creators posting dancing TikTok content, so I went with the trend. Trying to just be on trend was not an authentic way for me to grow. I learned to make content that resonated with my audience. We are here on this planet for a short time, and I want my content to impact my audience positively.

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?

I wouldn’t say blessed; it’s too much to say since I’m still pushing and growing. Hard work, consistency, and a little bit of good luck brought me where I am today. The best advice I can give to an aspiring creatorNobody’s going to tell you to keep pushing, many will be against you, but you already know through history that many successful people had to overcome many obstacles to climb up. Are you willing to make sacrifices? Are you ready to make changes to your comfortable life habits? Are you willing the sit hours editing alone in a room? Hours of filming, probably in the hot sun? That all comes down to your mindset if you are willing to push. If you love it, you’re going to do it.

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?

I’ve been dying to talk about this. Hell yeah!! I started the brand YAWAWE because I noticed a lot of kids and adults were doing crazy things that can be a bit disturbing or disrespectful. There are crazy things that are fun and hilarious to many others but what about the victim? The house you trashed when you partied there? The guy or girl you hooked up with without consent? The days where you blacked out and probably hurt some people’s feelings? YAWAWE is about owning up to your mistakes and saying, “yeah, it was me.” That’s how YAWAWE started, “ya was me.” Understandably, people want to run away from society from time to time, it’s human nature. I’m not trying to change anyone, so I want people to have a lot of fun and forget everything else, but you have to clean up after yourself and be honorable towards your actions.

Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

There isn’t one particular person; however, the purpose of my content is to bring joy and happiness to my audience. I feel I do that daily by delivering consistent upbeat, comedic content to my audience.

Was there a tipping point that made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

Yes, I realized I was making pointless videos, and people were only watching them for fun, not continuing to benefit. People would just come up to me and say I like your videos. I thought building a reputable brand would work out, so after starting YAWAWE, I noticed people would say, “ Hey, you’re YAWAWE, right? I saw people love the name, and it resonates with them. It actually stands for “Yeah it was me,” which is essentially taking responsibility for both the good and the bad in life. Never give up.

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

First is being authentic and true to yourself and having the community understand that my content is based on entertainment and comedy to bring joy to my audience. Not all content creators want to disrupt someone else’s day or cause drama. There is a place for entertainment-based content that positively impacts the lives of their audience. Balance is essential in all things parts of life. As a society, we should be looking for more ways to connect with one another. We can’t ban apps or other foundational places people visit for entertainment and online interaction. Laughter really is the best medicine; bringing joy to someone’s day is a powerful way to make a change.

Why do you think social media in particular has the power to create social change and create a positive impact on humanity?

Of course! Just look at how much wealth has been generated by users of social media apps came out. For example, a disadvantaged kid living in the mountains can make cooking videos in the wilderness, generate millions of views, and improve their life. The social media industry creates hope for many people. It also unites people together about what’s happening in the world. Without social media, people would be unable to upload and share their story. Social media connects us to others who may be experiencing the same kinds of things, like anxiety and depression, so we feel less alone. Because of social media, we have a bird’s eye into every part of the world. We know what’s happening in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Yes, fighter jets travel fast, but information and videos travel in milliseconds. The more educated and empathetic the world is, the faster humanity grows.

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?

This was not particularly a strategy. It’s more like being intuitive because you know your audience best. Also, betting on momentums is the best too. There are days when nothing works out, but there are also days when it is working! So you have to learn to ride the momentum. In general, anyone who will be successful in their platform is already doing things for a good cause. People are willing to rally with them because they also agree with what the creator is doing. Overall, having a positive mindset and outlook in life is the best tip people should go for.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

Be original, be consistent, have a group of friends that have a similar mindset, invest in yourself, and be more decisive because time kills. Be original: When I started tiktok, I tried to copy many dancing tiktokers. That never worked for me. It was funny because I spent three whole months wasting my time trying to get better at dancing. It just wasn’t my niche. It wasn’t until I started making prank and comedy videos people came pouring into the channel. I just needed to do something that was more my vibe and my type of personality instead of trying to copy what other people were doing. Be consistent: You will have good and bad days. You will have viral videos and some that hardly get any views. What you won’t have is results if you aren’t consistent. Keep your circle small: Take steps to be around people with similar goals, mindsets, and dreams. You don’t ask a hairstylist how to grow corn. You ask a farmer. If you want to grow corn, you go to those “corn” resources. Surround yourself with people who are trying to achieve the same things you are. I started hanging around other influencers because none of my college friends understood what I was trying to achieve online. Being around influencers provided me with a better understanding community around me. It keeps me pushing to make better, more engaging content. We are able to bounce ideas off each other and learn from each other’s successes and mistakes. Invest in yourself: Re-invest the money you make to grow personally and professionally. I learned that reading books, hitting the gym, and acquiring better film equipment was a better investment than wasting money on partying. Be Decisive: Time waits for no one; this is a big lesson I’ve learned. When I was younger, I would spend a lot of time agonizing over decisions, both big and small. For example, I was not particularly eager to follow the crowd but didn’t always have the wherewithal to go against the group, and I would worry that I didn’t make the right decision. The problem with not making a decision and just going along is that I lost out on opportunities because I couldn’t make a decision. Time won’t wait for you. Make your plan and be decisive about it.

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. :-)

I love the smiley face; that’s cute and random, it made my day. I hope to see people come out of their comfort zone. Many people live in small towns and big cities. Each place has its own bubble. Growing up, I was in an Asian community, so all I knew was whatever I grew up with. During high school, I went to a majority black and Latino school in the city; it opened my perspective to other cultures that were different from the way I grew up. I want to see people come out of their comfort zone, and push themselves to do more than they initially thought they could. I want to think that’s also what I wish YAWAWE to be. To push past your limits and have good intentions on your way up.. I hope to see it come to fruition.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a power lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

It has to be Kevin Hart. Holy crap, the dude is extraordinary. I love the fact that he was able to overcome many obstacles in life. I have to give him huge respect because even though he is below average height, he has an outgoing personality and funny character that can attract people. It would be an honor if I could have a power lunch with him.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

My DMs are always open and I’m on YouTube, Tiktok, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and everything else. All my social media handle is @imvincentgao

This was very meaningful. Thank you so much!

Back at you too! Thank you for having me on this!