Notifications On for Rod Thill @JustMe_Rod

Creators are ahead of the curve when it comes to viral trends and impactful cultural moments — they foster meaningful connections that resonate with audiences across the globe. Notifications On showcases the best and brightest Creators on Twitter. For this edition, we’re talking to Rod Thill, better known in all the group chats as JustMe_Rod, about becoming a full-time content Creator, millennial anxiety, and men’s mental health.

I worked in corporate sales for the last 10 years and didn’t think of myself as creative. But when we started working from home, I recognized that people were all experiencing being in their homes all day. They couldn't take a break to go get a coffee or get up to gossip with co-workers at their desks. They had to escape in different ways. I started using my TikTok to talk about these workplace anxieties that no one talked about before, and it took off. Because I've worked in sales and have an analyst mindset, I was able to look at a video and think, “This did well, because of this. This didn't do so hot because of that.” I just kept going.

I started being consistent [with content] in October, but I’ve always enjoyed short-form videos like Vine. When I started to get some virality, I thought about other ways I could put my random thoughts out into the world, and Twitter’s been a fun space for me to experiment. I like to see what people relate to on the platform, and, if a Tweet does well, I consider making it a video. The other day I Tweeted, “Tell me a millennial anxiety without telling me,” and the comments were amazing. The Twitter audience has been so supportive. All these experiences I thought I was alone in come up in a thread, and I can’t believe how relatable the content is to everyone.

Having this blue checkmark is validating, but I remember being on the other side of that. If someone who I'm a fan of likes my comment or engages with me when I put my thoughts out there, it’s so validating. It sends me to the moon. So with my platform, I want to help others feel important.

To that point, I think people are more natural and their true selves on Twitter. People truly feel like they can approach others on the platform. I can see and respond to my followers better, and the people who follow me are interested in my content specifically. I'm doing something that I'm finally passionate about, and it's given me a lot of anxiety, but the support of nearly 2M people has been kind of pushing me through it.

I love that you’re able to tag anyone, and Tweet at them, and not have it go to a private message or comments. I’m getting into comedy writing now, and I am an outspoken fan of Mindy Kaling. She responded to one of my Tweets, and it was such a surreal experience. When I responded, my followers were [Tweeting] how happy they were for me. It's nice to have a platform where I can get on, not overthink, and just feel supported. I’ve even made some real-life friendships from the connections I’ve made with awesome creators on Twitter. Matt Cutshall was a Viner I idolized, and now we’ve connected. Alyssa Limperis and Alexis Gay have helped me navigate this space because they're so familiar with using the digital world to their specific advantage.

My next move is to talk more about men's mental health, specifically. I've been joking about these anxieties, but it's a real thing. There’s this stigma that men can't talk about their mental health. I’m going to be partnering with The Jed Foundation, a mental health charity organization, and broaden my creation to reflect more of that. I’m also working on a script. It’s been a fun project that’s in the works.

If you’re thinking about creating content just put your thoughts into the universe. You don’t have anything to lose. If you don’t like it in a day, you can delete it. Everything is algorithm-based now. So if the algorithm doesn’t think it’s engaging, it won’t push it out to millions of people. I'm new to this world, as well, just a normal person. I am just a guy who everyone in the corporate world related to, and now I'm making these videos. I was self-conscious about getting started, but I was also opportunistic. If this is what you want, and you think you have a creative side, go for it and see what happens. Who knows, you could be quitting your job seven months later.

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