Before social media, the number of people who could say that untold masses would want to hear what they have to say was limited. Historically, a following was something that only the most important figures had. Yet even though social media has given everyone the power to reach out to people across the globe, having a following measured in millions is rare.
Among the US TikTok influencers, roughly half had between one and five thousand followers. Those with more than a million accounted for only 0.24% of TikTok influencers in the United States. They have a huge platform and a lot of opportunities to use it to benefit the people they might not know. And that’s just what Nathan Freihofer has been doing.
Content creator, social media influencer, weightlifting enthusiast, former military member, and current fiancé are some hats Nathan Freihofer wears. He also runs a business and markets brands through his social channels. He believes that his content, even when it’s silly, has an intention behind it.
“It’s great to be able to make people smile or laugh, and I have created lots of content that does just that,” Nathan Freihofer explains. “But I also like to inspire people. The gym videos I make are only sometimes instructional, but they should always show people what happens when they apply themselves and work out. And hard work is what it is – not genetics.”
In between the funny and the motivating content, Nathan Freihofer also manages to fundraise for the causes he deems very important.
“I’m happy to say that I’ve raised and donated over $30,000 for soldiers and families that were turned away when they needed help the most,” he says. “Everyone needs a helping hand from time to time, and the men and women who protect our country deserve it especially. It’s sad when they don’t get it, so I stepped up to do my part and encourage everyone to do theirs.”
His most recent way of leveraging his popularity online to help people came when he shined a light on the part of his life that not everyone was familiar with.
“I had anorexia through some of my teens and early twenties, for six years in total,” he explains. “I blamed a decline in sports performance on gaining weight, not knowing I had a thyroid problem. So I took not gaining any more weight and losing what I had seriously, so much so that I put my health in jeopardy.”
One of the aspects of it he remembers the most is the loneliness, the feeling of being almost the only man suffering from it because there were so few other men speaking about it. That eventually pushed him to speak out.
“I don’t care about the stigma or anything. I hope the message reaches the people who need it. That’s why I’m doing it,” Nathan Freihofer says. “It’s the same as with the funny content, or the gym content, or the relationship content – as long as it goes out there and people view it, there’ll be people who relate, find inspiration, or relax from their everyday stuff with it. That’s the best reason to do this.”
Written in partnership with Nick Kasmik
