Being an influencer means using that influence for good: TikTok star Josh Richards
I believe I was put on this Earth to make a difference
This month, on two different Tuesdays, I handed out blankets and offered food and drink to the less fortunate.
After having a heart-to-heart talk with two of my mentors, I felt it was my moral duty to post video of these acts on my YouTube channel.
Contrary to the criticism from people who called my motives into question, this isn’t about me and it's not why I posted on YouTube. It is about inspiring my millions of followers to see that they can also make a difference in their communities.
I believe I was put on this Earth to make a difference. It is my civic responsibility to inspire my followers and fellow influencers to give back. Inspiring others requires me to live and breathe what I preach.
I am all about leading by example. Just like the trend I started of TikTokers angel investing, I want to start a trend of influencers giving back. That’s especially true during this time of year which would usually be Festivus but is sadly tainted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Josh Richards
It is a uniquely rough time for tens of millions of people around the world, but if every influencer were to commit to just an hour of community service every month, the impact would be enormous.
For me, homelessness isn’t just a statistic, it is about real people with real struggles.
It is my responsibility to use my influence to push for positive change in the world. By doing good deeds in public, I hope to fulfill the promise I made to everyone to be a catalyst for the kind of change I’d like to see.
Walking around L.A., where I currently live, I see homeless people way too often for my heart to bear.
I come from a small town in Ontario, Canada where the community is tight-knit.
When I moved to L.A., it was culture shock. The lack of community was palpable.
I vividly remember the first time I saw a homeless person in L.A. and it has stayed with me ever since. It was downtown and the man I saw sitting on the ground and in tears.
The total disregard people passing by had for him was painful to watch. It was like he wasn’t even there.
I went inside a nearby Chick-fil-A, bought the man a sandwich and gave it to him. I waited until he stopped crying, wished him well, and walked away.
The warm and fuzzy feeling this created inside me was addictive.
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As a society, we have become desensitized to feeling the pain of the homeless because of how prevalent this issue is in big cities.
We can't become complacent. We need to make sure we are doing our part to help others in need.
During the summer of 2019, I saw many of my friends get taken advantage of financially by numerous adults who were claiming they were there to protect them.
Seeing this happen to my friends made me dead set on making sure that would never happen again.
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That's why I moved to L.A. and co-found TalentX Entertainment, a management company with the motto of creators first.
I was a 17-year-old then and I took the responsibility upon myself to protect my friends and to mentor new creators.
It is also why I invested in Stir, a technology that acts as a backend CFO for creators.
I will never stop doing what I think is right. My principals guide me, not toxic comments or haters’ disingenuous feedback.
I will never let my friends have their money stolen from them by adults again and I will continue to put my money where my mouth is to uphold that pledge.
A fair amount of the charitable initiatives I have partaken in have happened in front of the camera and I’m fiercely and unapologetically proud of that. -- Not because of what it could do for my brand, but because I know that it will inspire the people who see it to do more.
I get messages from people every day telling me that they are now investing a few dollars a week in apps like Acorns because they saw my investing tweets or because they heard about how I hired my sister at 14-years-old on a commission salary to help build my social media.
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I’m an influencer, and my entire life plays out in front of the media now. I don’t hide anything. The world sees the good and the bad.
As I told People magazine back in June, "I understand the privilege I have with my voice and my platform.”
It is my responsibility to use my influence to push for positive change in the world. By doing good deeds in public, I hope to fulfill the promise I made to everyone to be a catalyst for the kind of change I’d like to see.
In addition to the community work I have done, some for groups that are on the Internet and some that aren’t, I’ve also worked to be thoughtful in my investments — focusing on companies with a mission to give back.
People think entrepreneurship is primarily about making money and selfishness, but to me, it's actually about making an impact through innovation.
That’s why I joined Dog for Dog, a pet brand that donates dog food to shelters with every purchase, why I support UnHide, a company with a mission to end the cruel and environmentally-unfriendly practice of killing animals for fur and Lendtable, a company that helps people in low-income communities take advantage of their 401(k) match.
I will never stop doing what I think is right. My principals guide me, not toxic comments or haters’ disingenuous feedback.
Giving back is something my parents instilled in me from a young age. Now, I formally call on and implore every influencer to start doing their own charitable initiatives, start a business, and invest.
As I head off for a few weeks to spend time with the very people who instilled principles and values in me from a young age, I want to thank everyone who has supported me on this journey.
See you in 2021.
This New Year’s, my resolution is to keep giving back and using the platform I have been blessed with to push positivity and financial literacy.
What is your New Year’s resolution?
Josh Richards has more than 30 million followers across social media platforms and is a serial entrepreneur. Richards is the founder of the social media management company TalentX, founder of energy drink company Ani Energy, chief strategy officer of Triller, venture partner to VC firm REMUS Capital and angel investor in more than 20 companies.