Sgt. First Class Johnny Vargas could have fallen into being a content material creator accidentally, however two years into his new life, he’s constructed a booming social media enterprise with no plans of wanting again.
Vargas serves within the Army as a non-commissioned officer (NCO). His wage is almost $90,000 a 12 months, actually not chump change, however Vargas stated in a current interview with Navy.com that he makes “far more” by way of social media and consulting work for companies. Whereas he wouldn’t specify how a lot he earns, it’s clear Vargas places within the work, producing movies about army and veteran information a number of occasions per day on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Fb.
After a foolish video posted by his spouse went viral in 2023, Vargas wasn’t planning on gaining a following, however he knew one thing was there. He realized the nuances of social media engagement and the best way to construct an viewers. Ultimately, army brass caught wind of Vargas’s rising reputation and signed him on to assist with army recruitment.
His social media platforms have unlocked many doorways, and Vargas plans to continue to grow his enterprise after he receives a medical retirement from the Army subsequent summer time. Vargas believes if he can do it, different veterans and active-duty army members can too. Vargas shares how on this Q&A with Navy.com.
Army Sergeant to Content material Creator
Kevin Damask (KD, Navy.com): What attracted you to the Army, and the way did you get entangled within the service?
Johnny Vargas (JV): Effectively, I don’t have numerous deep-rooted army background in my household. However my grandfather was within the Korean Warfare. He was a canon crew member, and my uncle was within the Marine Corps Reserves in California. However I grew up within the San Fernando Valley of California, and I wished to be a firefighter, and to be sincere, it was only a complete lot simpler to affix the army. I joined on Jan. 1, 2013, and it’s been a journey. Type of loopy ever since.
KD: Do you think about your self a “social media influencer?”
JV: Lots of people would justify us as being in that house, however we don’t use the “I-word,” simply because it kind of places you in a bubble. That phrase “influencer” is nearly like a cuss phrase. I like to make use of content material creator, informer, or educator. I’m additionally a media supervisor and social media guide. I work with numerous firms, each for-profit and non-profit.
However I don’t do any of this in an official capability for the Army or the Division of Warfare. I’ve a few legal professionals representing me, and I do that as a registered LLC. And I don’t use my rank or my place as an officer within the Army to bolster my enterprise or my on-line media presence.
The companies I work with know they’re working with Johnny and never Sgt. First Class Vargas.
Development on TikTok
KD: You actually took off on TikTok particularly. What attracted you to that platform?
JV: It’s the most effective platform for rapid progress as a result of one factor TikTok does that different platforms don’t do is that whenever you make a video, they batch it out to new those that have by no means seen your content material earlier than, versus YouTube, Fb and Instagram, they batch out to those that already know you or have appreciated your web page. From there, it’s a must to depend on folks to share the video or ship it to others. With TikTok, they need to develop your viewers as shortly as doable as a result of whenever you develop, they develop. They make it very straightforward to develop.
They reached out to me a few 12 months and a half in the past. I did a section with a gentleman from Nationwide Public Radio who interviewed me on air. I spoke about TikTok and I used to be advocating for them. Then they reached out and stated, “We’ve got a Veterans Voice Initiative that we’re beginning. We’re giving $10 million to eight totally different nonprofit veterans associations. Would you prefer to be part of that? I stated, “Certain!”
KD: Have you learnt, as of November 2025, what number of social media followers you will have?
JV: Throughout all platforms, it’s in all probability round 300,000. My attain is about 35 to 45 million customers monthly.
KD: What are the keys to attracting an viewers to start out constructing a loyal following and continue to grow it?
JV: On-line, I attempt to be who I’m in actual life. I don’t placed on a pretend persona. I’m very real, clear, and sincere.
By doing that, I’ve earned the viewers’s belief. There are not any partitions or curtains that I’ve up between myself, the platform and the viewers. And at any time when my followers meet me in particular person, they’re like, “Wow, you actually do act this fashion.” As a result of there are folks on social media that placed on a face, placed on a present, and so they’re actually not like that in particular person.
I feel one of many extra vital issues is persistence; you possibly can’t cease till it really works. The primary 12 months I used to be doing this, I vowed to myself that I used to be going to publish three movies per day on each single platform, TikTok, Fb, Instagram and YouTube. I did that for a 12 months straight and I went from zero to love 140,000 followers throughout all of the platforms and now I’ve double that determine.
In addition to consistency, I inform folks, “Make content material for the viewers you need, not the viewers you will have.” As soon as you determine who you need to appeal to after which house in like, “How do I attain them?” There are three pillars on how to do this. 1. You need to make folks study, make them chuckle or make them cry. Perhaps not bodily cry, however you need to inform emotional tales and join with the viewers. I attempt to have at the very least one, or a mix of these three components on each publish.
Turning Web page Views Into Income
KD: I’m curious concerning the enterprise facet of social media. How do folks generate profits off being a content material creator? By means of sponsorships?
JV: So, there are just a few methods. Initially, when you acquire a sure viewers, the platforms monetize you off what number of views you get. It’s known as a per-mile charge. So, each thousand views equals a sure greenback quantity, relying on who you attain.
It ebbs and flows. So, I used to be getting cash from the totally different platforms for all of the views, which was good, however then you definitely receives a commission extra when you begin doing model work, associations, partnerships, and consulting. I’ve consulting calls with manufacturers, and I cost an hourly charge to talk with for-profits, non-profit firms, and CEOS, and board members, about what I do on social media and the way they may attain a bigger viewers. I additionally do keynote talking.
Anyone instructed me as soon as, “Johnny, when you deal with your self as a model, then you definitely’ll begin making model selections.” So, a few 12 months in the past, I began realizing that it is a enterprise and I’ve this model to keep up.
KD: When did the Pentagon attain out to you to work with them on making movies?
JV: That was in all probability over a 12 months in the past. They began the Artistic Reserve Pilot Program, and so they had a pocket of funding. That they had to determine the best way to attain service members or folks fascinated with becoming a member of the army, work on recruitment and messaging.
They contacted me and some others and requested if we may assist, like, “Hey, are you able to attend these totally different occasions, give speeches, take some footage, and discuss concerning the army, advocate for the Army, and inform your story.” On the identical time, this small group on the Pentagon, they have been unimaginable as a result of they inspired us to not do issues we weren’t snug with or to not say issues concerning the Army that we didn’t essentially agree with. So, it was cool to have the ability to inform my story and never need to “church” it up.
However then some authorized obstacles got here up between them and us. In the end, it’s on pause now, so it’s not a factor. The DOD can’t use our title, picture, and likeness to advertise the army with out compensating us extra, however on the identical time, we’re nonetheless servicemembers, so they simply can’t compensate us extra.
So, they stated, “Let’s pause this, do a authorized evaluation, and possibly we are able to hash it out sooner or later.”
Each time I do media spots, like on ABC Dwell for the Veterans Day parade in November, I’ve to take depart. Nevertheless it’s nice as a result of I get to work with the Bob Woodruff Basis, Workforce Rubicon, Pupil Veterans of America, and all these totally different folks.
KD: Once you have been producing movies for the Army, have been there occasions when reps stated, “You realize, Johnny, possibly you shouldn’t have stated that?”
JV: Yeah, there have been a few occasions, however in comparison with different content material creators within the Army house, I’m fairly clear. I don’t cuss. I don’t make jokes about genitalia. I don’t say racially charged issues, and I hold all my garments on. So, they trusted me so much, however on the identical time, that type of harm me typically as a result of I used to be beneath a magnifying glass.
If I stated one thing that was 2 p.c off target to what I usually would say in that safer realm, I might get a few calls, like, “Hey, may you possibly phrase it this fashion as an alternative?” However they didn’t actually inform me to cease doing issues. They by no means stated, “We don’t like that, take it down.” They by no means requested me to delete something. Typically they might say, “This basic or this colonel stated this about your video,” offering suggestions.
On the identical time, I cowl numerous army information, and I discuss some very charged-up issues. I synthesize the articles to my viewers, and I don’t give my opinion. I don’t inform them what to suppose both. A few occasions, some senior officers reached out and stated, “Hey, we don’t like that. You need to take it down.” That’s after I stated, “No disrespect, however I can’t discuss to you. Go forward and discuss to my lawyer.” And my lawyer expressed to them, “These aren’t Johnny’s phrases. He didn’t say something unlawful, he didn’t do something flawed, you simply don’t like what he stated.” After that, these points sometimes go away.
Utilizing Platform to Assist Veterans
KD: In addition to utilizing your platform to attach with senior leaders within the army, you’ve additionally linked with leaders at VA to assist veterans. How have you ever used social media to work with these teams?
JV: Effectively, it was by no means my intention to turn out to be “colleagues” with a few of these folks of their present positions, however like Tony Grinston, the previous sergeant main of the Army, I think about him a good friend. He’s now the CEO of Army Emergency Aid. And Dan Daly, he’s with AUSA and is vp of its troopers and NCOs program. And extra just lately, I’ve had a gathering with Secretary of Warfare Pete Hegseth, Doug Collins, the secretary of veterans affairs, and Mike Weimer, the present Sergeant Main of the Army. We’ve all had pleasant conversations, and so they’ve instructed me, “Hey, we love what you do on social media,” however for authorized functions, I wouldn’t think about them an endorsement. Nevertheless it’s cool that I’ve their help. I’ve been in a position to have entry to them that different folks don’t as a result of I’ve earned their belief.
KD: In different interviews, you have talked about selling psychological well being take care of veterans and active-duty army members. Plenty of occasions, veterans wrestle with transitioning out of the army and again into civilian life. Some actually go down darkish paths, homelessness, despair, dependancy, and even suicide. What do you suppose is the most important impediment for veterans after they’re making an attempt to transition out of the army?
JV: Sadly, I’ve had pals who’ve taken their very own lives due to the wrestle with transitioning. I haven’t gone by way of it but, however I’m hoping to have a medical retirement accredited within the subsequent a number of months. I feel one of many largest obstacles shouldn’t be having sufficient folks to assist with the transition.
Plenty of servicemembers don’t understand, “Hey, that is over. And I’ve to prepare for this subsequent chapter.” Plenty of them are type of hardened after they get out and really feel like, “Oh no, I don’t want any assist,” as a result of we sometimes do issues for ourselves so much.
Particularly for males, it’s very onerous to confess whenever you need assistance. It feels weak, like we failed at one thing.
I feel one other facet shouldn’t be having a extra centered course of for getting service members out. So many troopers undergo it, and it’s only a “examine the field” kind of factor. You get briefed in your manner out, and also you don’t actually have to concentrate. They only snap you, although, like, “Yep, this particular person’s good.” And it’s onto the subsequent appointment.
It’s an excessive amount of of an umbrella course of, and it must be extra centered on every servicemember.
KD: Veterans and active-duty army folks have a tendency to attach higher with those that have gone by way of comparable experiences. Have you ever used that connection to construct your social media following?
JV: Yeah, that’s why I’ve these pillars. Attempt to make folks cry, and inform emotional, real-life tales as a result of if I can discuss my experiences and possibly one thing horrible I’ve gone by way of, possibly it helps one different one that won’t have wished to speak about it or have compartmentalized it. And social media is nice for that as a result of I can join with folks actually shortly.
KD: You’re an NCO within the Army, and also you’re constructing a sturdy social media enterprise whereas married with 4 youngsters. How do you handle your time?
JV: Yeah, typically it’s onerous. However I do have assistants who assist me with my electronic mail inboxes. I nonetheless handle my very own calendar. I nonetheless negotiate all my contracts. A few of the organizations I work for e-book all of my journey itineraries in order that’s one much less factor to fret about. However, yeah, juggling elevating 4 children, my spouse, the army, my enterprise, it may be actually, actually onerous. I attempt to put as a lot as I can within the pot. Simply put it into sure compartments to ensure the opposite ones aren’t struggling and I’ve simply needed to say no to some alternatives.
KD: You’re not fairly a veteran but, however what recommendation do you will have for veterans who see you thriving on social media, learn your story, and are like, “Hey, I’d need to do that too?”
JV: Effectively, I feel this goes for many issues in life: You don’t know till you attempt. And when you attempt, attempt onerous. So many individuals don’t put sufficient effort into sure components of their lives. For those who make it your purpose to be mildly profitable, you’re solely going to be mildly profitable. However when you make it your purpose to be overwhelmingly profitable, and also you create steps to get these steps completed, then you definitely’re in all probability going to get there. So, discover the tip purpose after which create the steps between the place you might be and ensure they’re lifelike.
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