Brian Kelly has been a firefighter for over 20 years. But when COVID-19 hit and he found himself with more downtime, he discovered a new passion: sharing his love of food and cooking over social media. What started as a hobby making cooking videos on TikTok has now turned into a thriving business and side hustle for this entrepreneurial first responder.

Kelly first got into social media just for fun. Approaching his 40th birthday, he started watching cooking videos on TikTok during his time off from teaching fire classes and other firefighter duties due to COVID-19 restrictions. He decided to try it out himself and was surprised when he quickly started gaining followers. Companies even began reaching out asking him to showcase their products.

While he already owned a consulting company called Kelly Fire and Emergency Services Consulting, the social media thing was new and fun. And it was bringing in money to help fund his new hobby without having to tap into his savings. Soon "East Coast Kellys" was born as a DBA.

Kelly takes the "good, bad, and real" approach with his social media, showing the human side of cooking outdoors. He'll showcase when recipes fail to turn out as expected - not everything looks perfect like on Food Network in real life.

Showing authenticity has helped him connect with an audience that wants realistic content. Followers can relate to the everyday person who may burn some eggs or doesn't have the most flawless lighting or editing.

Over time, Kelly has refined his business model with a focus on sponsored content and brand deals. He reviews products related to outdoor cooking and negotiates contracts for video promotions. The brand exposure he delivers through platforms like TikTok and Instagram is valuable for smaller businesses targeting consumers who want transparency from influencers.

While his social media business continues to take off, Kelly still has a "day job" as a full-time firefighter and fire marshal. He says the key is being willing to go wherever momentum takes you. The same conviction firefighters have to extinguish every last ember translates for him into conviction for making his business work.

Kelly has needed to learn so much - editing video, optimizing platforms, negotiating deals. But his drive to keep improving comes from the pride he takes in whatever he puts his name on. Just as in the fire service, integrity and trust are paramount. As he continues to juggle all these passions, Kelly relies on support from his family to make it all possible.

The world of being a social media influencer is very different from his decades in firefighting. But first responders interested in entrepreneurship can draw encouragement from Kelly's story. With hustle and authenticity, you can build a whole new career and life for yourself if you put in the work.

Connect with East Coast Kelly’s: https://linktr.ee/eastcoastkellys

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