TikToker Dough Joe built an audience of over 3M followers by doing one thing: making pizzas at Papa John’s.
When a viewer commented that he was “wasting his talent” by staying in his day job, he fired back with a calm, confident response that went viral.
Joe said he's thankful for his job and the opportunities it has given him, even if others don’t see it that way.
The Secret Ingredient: A Day Job
Dough Joe didn’t quit his day job to make content. He turned the job into content.
With millions of followers, you might think he’d be itching to leave the pizza world behind.
But that couldn't be further from reality.
“I’ve been working for Papa John’s for six years,” he said. “I’ve paid my way through college, bought my first car, and learned discipline from this job.”
"And I'm thankful to be a pizza man."
Our Take: The Rise of the Everyday Creator
Dough Joe didn’t leave his 9-to-5 to chase content — he turned it into content.
And the result? Papa John’s bought in. They filmed commercials with him and recognized the power of having an in-house creator.
Then there’s 7-Eleven — who fired their employee IanOnYouTube for filming vlogs during his shift, missing the moment entirely.
The rise of the everyday creator isn’t just about relatability. It’s a blueprint for brands: empower your employees, and you might just find your next breakout star behind the counter.