How This Florida Man's DIY and Home Repair Hacks Videos Turned Him Into a Social Media Sensation

The social media user said that he learned about home repair when he began building houses at 18.

PUBLISHED FEB 8, 2024

A Florida resident went viral on TikTok for his home repair hacks. He now boasts a follower base of 3 million. Gator (@jmg8tor) dedicated his time to teaching people the latest DIY and home repair hacks through his content. In an interview with FOX, he states that he started by posting "silly videos" which received more than a million views. After a few successful videos, he said, "And I was like, ‘Well, let me just get that app.’ And then I started posting videos."

Upon receiving a suggestion from a well-wisher, rather than sharing random clips, he began posting repair videos on his profile. As a result, his TikTok following, which previously stood at 200K, began to soar. One of his initial home repair videos quickly went viral, garnering over 20 million views within a matter of days.

"The whole comment section was just like, 'Can you show me how to do another tape measure hack?’ ‘How do you use a drill?’ ‘Can you fix a toilet, do you fix a door?’ And I was like, this is crazy", he said. He later mentioned that his fame was completely accidental. Two years ago, he had no presence on social media, and today, he has a total of 50 million likes and just over 2.8 million followers on the platform.

In a video that gained over 12 million views online, Gator showed his followers how to clean old wooden fences using a mixture of pool chlorine and water. "Just one day somebody asked me about doing a home repair, which I've already been doing my whole life, I said I don't know why I've never made that content, and I made one video on how to do a little hack on measuring a board and it did 20 million views in two days," Gator told FOX.

He is known for ending his videos with the catchphrase, "NEXT!" and explained that it was something he chose randomly. "It was just nothing, and the next few videos I did, I didn't say that, and people were asking what happened to the next. And I was like what are y'all talking about? So then I started saying next, and it gradually transpired into what it is today, you know?" he adds.

According to FOX, Gator has begun to generate profits from his video content. One of his standout videos involved him using WD-40, which subsequently led to a sponsorship deal with the company. The TikToker, who previously worked as a repair manager for rental properties, has rightfully gained recognition for his efforts in teaching others self-sufficiency in repair work alongside his day job.

Expressing his passion for assisting others, he highlighted the gratification he derives from the positive feedback and comments received from viewers. This motivation fuels his continued dedication to creating helpful content: "It's rewarding to offer assistance, and the positive feedback I receive is what keeps me motivated to keep posting."