On this episode of Leisure Unscripted, podcast contributor Celina Landero Valenzuela sits down with Chad Johnson – a hard-of-hearing content material creator, athlete and signal language educator with over 1.6 million TikTok followers. Chad opens up about how a buddy inspired him to share ASL on-line, how he went viral seemingly in a single day and what it’s wish to symbolize the U.S. Deaf Males’s Nationwide Soccer Crew. From dispelling myths about Deaf identification to dreaming huge in Los Angeles’ modeling scene, Chad brings perception, humor and coronary heart to this wide-ranging dialog.
Mia Fernandez: Hi there everybody, and welcome again to Leisure Unscripted! At this time, podcast contributor Celina Landero Valenzuela is joined by Chad Johnson, a content material creator who teaches signal language on his social media platforms. They’ll be discussing Chad’s expertise as a public determine and his targets for the long run.
Celina Landero Valenzuela: Welcome, Chad! How are you doing?
Chad Johnson: I’m doing good, thanks for having me.
CLV: Do you wish to inform us a little bit bit about your self?
CJ: Yeah! My title is Chad Johnson. I used to be born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and I’m arduous of listening to – Deaf. I put on two listening to aids in my ears.
CLV: Okay. I wish to ask – what impressed you to begin creating content material on TikTok and the opposite platforms you’re on?
CJ: Yeah, so I educate signal language on all my platforms. What bought me into it was my buddy Shaheem. He saved pushing me to begin, however I used to be blowing it off at first. Someday I simply made a video, and subsequent factor I do know, I began getting all these followers and a spotlight I wasn’t used to. I hit 1,000,000 followers in two weeks – it was insane.
I by no means pictured myself posting signal language content material as my area of interest. I truly realized signal language once I went to Gallaudet College in Washington, D.C. – a Deaf college. Everybody who goes there and doesn’t already know signal has to be taught it.
Earlier than that, I grew up within the listening to world, speaking. That was my first time interacting with different Deaf and arduous of listening to folks like me.
CLV: How outdated have been you then?
CJ: I used to be 20.
CLV: And is that whenever you began making content material?
CJ: No, that got here later. I began creating content material round 22 or 23.
CLV: So it sort of simply occurred out of nowhere?
CJ: Yeah! Somebody requested a video, I made it, it blew up – after which folks saved requesting extra within the feedback. So I ran with it. I’ve been doing it ever since.
CLV: So that you’re a kind of creators who didn’t got down to go viral – it simply occurred, and you then saved partaking along with your viewers?
CJ: Precisely. It went viral, and I simply stayed constant. That’s what folks like – not somebody who posts randomly, however somebody who reveals up each day. They’re studying one thing each day, having fun and the feedback are all the time real. That sort of suggestions actually makes my day.
CLV: I’ve seen you on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. The place else can we discover you?
CJ: I’m additionally on Twitter and Fb.
CLV: Which one’s your favourite platform?
CJ: TikTok for certain. It’s the place I began, and it has every kind of movies you don’t see elsewhere. I additionally edit every part on there. It’s positively primary for me.
CLV: And TikTok’s the place you’ve essentially the most followers, proper?
CJ: Yeah, 1.6 million.
CLV: Do you get a whole lot of DMs?
CJ: Oh yeah, each day. Some are tremendous real – folks thanking me as a result of they’ll now higher talk with Deaf or arduous of listening to family and friends. Others are simply folks taking pictures their shot … typically saying some wild stuff. It actually varies!
CLV: You’re additionally a soccer participant, proper?
CJ: Yeah – I play for the U.S. Deaf Males’s Nationwide Soccer Crew. It’s similar to the common nationwide crew, however for Deaf and arduous of listening to gamers who meet the standards. We journey internationally to compete.
CLV: Do any of your teammates do content material creation?
CJ: Nope, simply me. However they name me “Mr. Well-known” or “King Chatty.” I embody them in a few of my movies although – educating soccer indicators and sharing our language with the general public and soccer followers.
CLV: What’s the largest false impression concerning the Deaf group?
CJ: One huge one is folks assuming Deaf of us can’t discuss. And likewise the time period “listening to impaired” – lots of people don’t like that. It frames deafness as a incapacity in a unfavorable method. I personally don’t get offended, however it’s one thing I attempt to educate folks on, as a result of saying it to the mistaken particular person will be hurtful.
CLV: The place do you see your self in a pair years?
CJ: I haven’t thought that far forward, however I’d positively wish to get into modeling and appearing.
CLV: You’re in LA – that’s the place to do it!
CJ: Precisely. That’s why I’m constructing my web page, networking and placing myself on the market.
CLV: Have any producers or manufacturers reached out?
CJ: A number of, however so much are far-off. I’ve to take the initiative extra and pitch myself. It’s powerful in LA – nothing’s free, and there’s a whole lot of competitors. However I’m gonna hold at it.
CLV: You talked about earlier that you just’re heading to Tokyo?
CJ: Yeah! We certified for the Deaf Olympics. Final yr we went to Brazil, and now we’re heading to Tokyo for about three weeks. We’ve bought 5 coaching camps earlier than that – objective is to win gold.
CLV: What was it like when TikTok was virtually banned?
CJ: I used to be panicking! Folks have been telling me to maneuver to different apps like Favorited, however it wasn’t the identical vibe. I used to be speeding to publish every part in my drafts. I didn’t wish to lose all that work.
CLV: Do you continue to make content material whereas touring?
CJ: After all. I’ll make movies with teammates, present soccer indicators, do vlogs – a day within the life on the Deaf Nationwide Crew sort of factor.
CLV: Do you edit your individual movies?
CJ: Yup. Modifying’s straightforward for me now.
CLV: What number of movies do you make a day?
CJ: Once I first blew up, I’d make 20 movies a day and publish thrice a day. Now I publish as soon as a day to preserve vitality and content material.
CLV: Is there a greatest day to publish?
CJ: Will depend on the content material, however I’d say Friday or Saturday. Some folks like Mondays although – it varies.
CLV: Do you ever tailor content material to particular international locations or cultures primarily based in your followers?
CJ: Probably not. I publish no matter I vibe with. However my viewers is tremendous loyal and various – all age ranges, everywhere in the world. It’s wild.
CLV: This has been so superb. Thanks for taking the time to be right here and share your story with us and with UCLA.
CJ: After all! Thanks a lot for having me.
