How Jordan The Stallion became inescapable on TikTok

Jordan The Stallion has stories to tell. And you’ve likely seen them; the guy is everywhere.

He has 17 million followers on TikTok, has collaborated with some of the biggest celebrities (Donald Glover, Steph Curry, and Channing Tatum, to name a few), and his posts consistently rack up millions of views. Jordan’s the guy you’ve almost certainly seen on your FYP testing TikTok’s favorite juicer, or motioning you closer, saying, “Come here,” or testing the viral Ina Garten brownie pudding so you don’t have to.

Real last name Howlett — no, his surname is not The Stallion — Jordan is up for Storyteller of the Year at the 2025 TikTok awards set to air on Thursday. He’s a face in millions upon millions of households just a few years after he started posting.

Howlett sat down with Mashable in New York to talk about his journey as a creator and what, exactly, it’s like to film with the most famous people on the planet.

Could you walk me through how you got your start on TikTok?

I played sports before this. I wanted to be a baseball player when I was young. I never played before, and I was really bad at it. So I fully dedicated and immersed myself in playing baseball. Around 2020, I was looking to get drafted. I was excited. It was a new opportunity. I was amped to get to the next stage. And then COVID happened, and everything got derailed pretty quickly.

After that, I just kind of felt like a robot. I think people don’t understand that with sports, it is very much a team effort, but at the same time, you are also on your own individual journey. And it can be very lonely because you are constantly trying to get better. You feel like you are a replaceable cog in a machine. It does a number on you. So, by the time COVID happened and I was stuck at home, I was asking myself, “What do I like to do?” And I couldn’t answer that because my only answers were gym, baseball, gym, baseball, sleep, and eat.

I wanted to find my personality again and see if I could bring something creative to the table. And it kind of blossomed from there. It was really just a way for me to have fun with videos, and it developed into this thing. 

How did you find what kind of videos worked for you or what you enjoyed doing? 

Some people go viral immediately; their first video is a hit. You get a good grasp of what people like. For me, it was not that. It was a gradual, three-year process, a slow build. And then from there, you just learn what people enjoy watching.

And [I was] not afraid to replicate, you know? I think the idea of being worried about getting into this niche thing is a mental blockage. Because I’m not going to lie to you: I tell people, in this profession, “The audience is your boss, man.”

This is a job. The audience is your boss. You want to appease your boss, ensure you’re doing well for them, and keep things going smoothly. If the boss says, “Hey, we like it when you do this thing,” and they’re still liking it, then why not give it a try, you know?

That’s how I gauged it. People really enjoy hearing about my day and my job. And people really enjoy it when I make food. People enjoy it when I give fun facts and things like that.

Was there a particular post that you remember thinking, “Oh, this is working?”

I’ll be very honest — and I think this is tied to the athletic aspect of things — but, in baseball, it’s about having a short-term memory. Good or bad. Great or awful. The next day, it’s like, OK, you’ve got to prove yourself all over again. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past.

So, even when videos went very well, I noticed that by the next day, mentally, they didn’t exist anymore. I’m like, “We got to do it again.” We’ve got to prove it again, and again, and again. Because of that, I never really felt that moment.

Somebody actually asked me today at the airport, verbatim, “At what moment did you know that you were him? You were the guy, right?” And I was like, “Actually, I still don’t feel that way.” I know, it’s a cliché, but it’s really true; I don’t really feel that way. 

When people ask, “Are you this famous person?” I’m like, “Maybe? I don’t know.” You never really feel it. If you’re focused on the work, you just don’t really feel those moments.

I will say this, though, the one that really baffled me, like, truly, I was like, whoa, was the juicer. I saw an amazing video from another account, which I believe was @smallandfragileclub. And she had this manual juicer. And I was like, “I want to try that out.” I would compare the amount of juice you get from manually juicing it to the amount you get from the store brand.

People loved it so much, especially the pomegranate one, that it got so viral. We were going to different countries. We went to Italy, Paris, Spain, and many other places. Everybody who walked up to us — they knew the juicer immediately. I didn’t know that reach was so vast.

It’s an oddly satisfying thing.

It’s an oddly satisfying, non-verbal thing. You don’t really need to understand anything outside of, “Oh, clearly he’s juicing something, and it’s good.” That’s kind of it. 

Is it a trip for you when you’re at the airport, and people come up to you, like, “You’re that famous guy!”

It is a pinch-me moment. I’m very grateful every time, because at the end of the day, it is truly a blessing for someone to get excited because you’re there. You know what I mean? It’s still baffling to me that people’s days feel just a tiny bit better if I’m around. A few years ago, when I was in a room, nobody…their days stayed the same. [Laughs.] It may have even gotten worse; I don’t know. 

You said you get to make people’s day a little bit better — I think that might be part of your answer to this — but what do you like about being a creator? What has it opened up for you?

Dude, I am the least talented person in my family. I really am. My dad, brother, and mom can sing, draw, and act. They’re amazing. I have obtained none of those things. I cannot draw. I’m not a singer in public. I mean, I’m working on the acting part. I just didn’t think I had a talent. Doing this has given me that confidence. 

Well, you obviously have talent. We’re doing this interview in conjunction with the TikTok Awards, and you’re up for Storyteller of the Year. What do you think makes you a good storyteller, and what makes a good storyteller in general?

It’s somebody who can immerse themselves in their own story. That’s why we love movies. That’s why we love sports figures and documentaries. That’s my favorite thing in the world because you see a bit of yourself in that person, or you’re trying to search for yourself in that person.

When you’re telling or recollecting a story, or trying to bring something to life, the most important thing is making sure that you’re cognizant [of taking] your audience on that journey with you. You don’t want to leave anybody behind. If I’m telling a story and I’m like, “I went to the store and then other things happen, and now we’re at the sushi place.” How did we get there? Even though it might be a no-brainer — we took a bus, a car, a train, a plane, you know? Let’s really get in-depth.

It’s about how you tell the story. Many people are skilled at pacing, allowing others time to become invested, knowing when to shift to the next thing, when to linger a bit, and when to revisit it. It’s really a verbal essay, right? You’re going back to your thesis statement, that kind of thing. I think people who are cognizant of that are great. 

I think, for myself, I studied storytellers my entire life. My dad is the best storyteller I’ve ever known. 

When you’re creating a video, could you walk me through what that looks like?

The best stories truly come from the nuance of how realistic the story actually is. For example, I want to go try this sushi place after this interview. I can easily say, “I’m here, and I’ve tried the sushi.” But, in reality, what happened was that I saw this sushi three weeks ago, I bookmarked it, and I forgot about it. I was in New York. I panicked at the last minute because I thought, “Oh my gosh, this sushi place exists, and it closes in 30 minutes.” I arrived just as it was about to close. They’re going to reopen when we get back. That is all part of the story. You want to know that stuff because it adds so much more significance to getting that sushi. 

Are you writing an outline? How does that go from in your head out to the world?

Literally in real-time. I’m very scatterbrained, and none of my videos are scripted. It’s all out of the top of my head. With the exception, of course, being collaborations, because sometimes we need structure and to write something for them.

But, for my own independent videos, it is right then, it is right there. Because in that moment, I can easily recollect what’s happening. Hey, I’m on a plane to Brazil for chocolate cake. That’s what’s happening right now. 

You’re trying to make it like the audience is your friend, getting caught up. 

Exactly. It’s like we’re on a phone call, a FaceTime, like, “This is what’s going down.”

You mentioned collaborations. I think many people may know you from your work with celebrities. What is that experience like, and what was a surprising experience you’ve had working with a celebrity? 

The typical experience…I would say you get one or the other. You get a very intentional experience, where you get to know them — we have a really good, deep conversation. I actually get to know them as a person, and then we get to film. That is beautiful to me because the chemistry reads off the screen. I promise you. I promise you. You cannot fake chemistry as well as people think. 

Or it’s a team that’s like, “We’d love for you to work with this person.” Great. And then I get there, and they’ll be like, “We love your stuff.” I’m like, “Awesome.” And then I get there, and they’re like, yeah, we don’t have a mirror or a bathroom [to film], and you have five seconds and no second takes and go now.” 

At the same time, depending on who it is, I’m like, “I might never get these five seconds with this person again.” So, am I just not going to try to get something? Am I going to completely squander it? That’s essentially where I had to shift my mentality, and it helped a lot.

That’s normally the typical [experience], one or the other. 

The most surprising thing?

Yesterday we filmed with this very talented actor. I’m certain people can connect the dots, but [he’s] a very, very talented actor who is going to be a superhero very soon. 

I thought it was going to be a team comes by, and I got five seconds. The whole deal.

It was just him. He showed up at my apartment. We were able to just really, truly get to know each other. We sat and talked. We talked for a while about life, about how we view the industry, our careers, and things of that nature. It was a beautifully connected experience. He is such a great person. By the end of it, we started filming.

It was like filming with a buddy. It was great. That was very refreshing and unexpected. 

I’m guessing you can’t say who it is quite yet?

I mean, I probably can? It was Aaron Pierre.

It’s interesting that you’ve had such vastly different experiences.

It’s nerve-racking every time because you just don’t know what you’re going to get. 

Do people come up to you and reference those videos? I figure you probably get the Donald Glover one a lot? 

I got the Donald Glover one my entire life. That was a long time coming. 

A lot of [people reference] the Method Man one. Method Man is the best in the world. I get that one constantly. I walk in, someone’s like, [squeaky voice], “Mini Method Man!” Always. I’ll gladly be called that because he is incredibly taller and way more muscular than I’ll ever be. 

It’d be really disappointing to learn that Method Man wasn’t fun and cool in real life, so that’s good to know. 

Like literally…off rip. Oh, you’re the coolest person on the planet. Cool. Good to know. 

Moving on to some of the other things you do, you test a lot of food. We discussed the juicer, but are there any others that stand out particularly from your extensive history of testing internet recipes? 

Homemade Pop-Tarts, man. 

Really? 

Homemade brown sugar Pop-Tarts. The best thing I’ve ever made. It was tremendously awesome. It was the best thing I’ve ever had. I would heavily encourage you to make your own Pop-Tarts.

That’s so surprising! I feel like it would miss the fake quality of a Pop-Tart, you know? 

Well, here’s the thing: It’s not like a strudel, right? It’s still thin. And when you make the frosting that goes over it, it hardens just like Pop-Tarts do. So, when you let it cool for a little while, you bite into it, and it gives the same exact bite as a Pop-Tart. The only difference is, you can taste everything you put in it. And it is so good. 

I used to test viral air fryer recipes for Mashable. And sometimes, when you had a really processed food and tried to make an at-home version, it was just such a letdown.

How lucky! You need to try air-fryer mac and cheese. 

Really?

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dude, make your mac and cheese extra cheesy. Before you put it in the air fryer, you put a bunch of cheese on top, and then air fry at 370 for 10-ish minutes. Give that little crunch. Put some chives over it. [Phew.] Delicious. 

Is there a particular TikTok that was just for you? I know your audience is the boss, but the one where you were like, “I love that, that was so much fun.”

One-thousand, million percent: Willem Dafoe. That was me. That was selfish. I wanted and needed to do a video with Willem Dafoe. If I post it and no one watches it, I do not care. 

Willem Dafoe was actually briefly at our holiday party last year. He was in our studio, and it just happened to be the same day.  

He’s like a wizard who just comes in and exists, and then he’ll vanish! And you’re like, “What happened?!”

I told my brother this. We met once, and I’m totally fine never meeting again. Because I think it doesn’t get any better than that. 

This conversation has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

​Mashable