Creator Q+A: Jeremiah Brown

Dylan Wells: When did you start thinking about yourself as a creator? 

Jeremiah Brown: That's a great question. I never thought about that. I think, once I got out of the villa, I kind of just started making content because a lot of people wanted to see my life, my family and things I'm into. So I would say probably like a year ago, July.

DW: And after the villa, you immediately started a book club on social media and engaging with BookTok. 

JB: Which I had no idea about, because I wasn't on TikTok like that. I had like five posts, maybe 10 posts, some funny ones and then some book reviews. And I was like, oh, this is fun. Being able to connect with my audience and supporters through books has been everything. Because I love books. And I didn’t know people still loved books, and they put me on to a lot of amazing books, like, “Fourth Wing” and “ACOTAR,” so it's been a blessing.

DW: Is social media something you were thinking about — those opportunities — when you decided to join “Love Island?”

JB: No, because I never wanted to be a content creator. I always cringed myself out even making the [videos] ones I had. I remember doing my first interviews at the villa and they would ask what my skincare routine was, just little things. I mentioned a brand and they’d be like “You're going to get a brand deal!” And I'm like, “No, I'm not.” We didn't know the effect the show had. We're just like, “Okay, cool, haha.” And then you get out and you see it. I had no idea the power of the show. 

DW: The show has jump-started the careers of so many big creators. What is it about “Love Island,” specifically, compared to other reality shows, that you think leads to so much fan engagement and audience online?

JB: I would say the thing I get the most [from fans] would be like, “Oh, we hung out.” I think it's just that relationship, even though it can be kind of parasocial, they're seeing us every day, five times a week for an hour. So I think just that constant, you have to watch it live, almost, like a day after it's filmed. So I think that consistency really forms those connections, even though it's kind of not us because it's edited, it just makes it more interesting. 

DW: How quickly after you left the villa did you jump into this creator world? When you got back your phone, were you already hearing from potential managers and brands? 

JB: It was literally instant. I turned on my phone, I saw everything, I cried a little bit, called my dad, called my family, my friends. And then I got back. And then I think me and my sister made a TikTok four days after I got home, just having fun. I was like, “Oh, this is really dope to talk to people online.” It was really sick. 

DW: What have you found resonates the most with your audience that you've since built online?

JB: I would say books, making literacy cool again, mental health and sports. That's my big three right now. 

DW: How do you think about longevity as a creator? You were still on our screens until recently with “Beyond the Villa.” How are you thinking about maintaining relevance going forward?

JB: That's a great question because when I got out, everyone was like, “enjoy your 15 minutes.” And I was like, “Oh, I will!” I didn't expect two minutes, so you best believe it. And a year later, we're at Cannes. So it's been amazing to still hoop a year later. 

The first eight months, I was like, “Oh man, when is it going to end?” I talked to Jalen from “Love Island,” he really got me with just one day at a time. And so we have a couple more shows in the works, maybe late August, September, scripted, unscripted. So I say, like, still doing things that make me happy. I already won, everything else is a plus, so I’m just grateful. 

DW: How are you thinking about diversifying your income as a creator now? I know you've been investing in companies and getting into the VC space as well. 

JB: Shout out Bulletpitch. So I got financial stocks, everything. Stocks, crypto, start-ups, high-yield savings. Really every way to invest, I'm putting my foot in it, because I day traded for like three years, so I love the investing, finance world. So I try to do my best with that. 

DW: What's something you learned about the finance world from being a creator you didn’t know before?

JB: I would say that ironically enough it costs [money], like you want to spend money because, yeah, it’s a tax write off, but there's just some things you want to do as a creator — I need to go to this event, I have to pay my own way, but it's so worth it. So I would say, not beating myself up over the necessary investments that might look like a waste, because they are investments in myself.

This Q+A is part of Verified, a newsletter that is published by Washington Post Creator, a new business outside The Washington Post’s newsroom that is focused on the creator economy and content partnerships with independent creators. Learn more about Washington Post Creator.