Viral TikToker Josh Liljenquist is aware of find out how to make the web cry – glad tears, in fact. With greater than 40 million followers on social media, Josh has constructed a web based neighborhood of people that love a feel-good story. Practically all of his movies go viral shortly, however one specific video, posted earlier this yr, has an replace that he is aware of will tug at many heartstrings.
Josh spoke to The Blast solely to share an thrilling replace to his February 2026 video captioned, “Altering A Man’s Life,” and Could 2026 video titled, “Stunning a Man and Altering His Life.”
In 2019, Josh started posting on TikTok whereas in faculty at Minnesota State College, Mankato. When he began out, he was doing all of it by himself – from developing with concepts to filming and enhancing and posting. He shared some perception into why he does what he does solely with The Blast.
“I grew up in Fairmont, Minnesota with my dad and mom, Trent and Julie Liljenquist and my older brother, Jacob. Serving to individuals was one thing I noticed modeled at house earlier than I ever had an viewers,” Josh stated. “My household hosted two overseas change college students whereas I used to be rising up, and my mother additionally opened our house to children who have been going via tough conditions. Jacob and I realized fairly early that typically serving to one other individual means sharing your house, giving one thing up, or simply being prepared to make room for anyone else.”
He stated his brother had an enormous affect on him, as nicely, and taught him “so much about turning the opposite cheek.”
“Because the platform grew, I began considering much less about simply making one thing individuals would watch and extra about what might really occur as a result of they watched it,” he continued. “In the present day, I’ve greater than 42 million followers mixed throughout my public social media accounts, however truthfully the largest evolution hasn’t been the quantity. It has been determining find out how to flip consideration into one thing helpful.”
How Josh Met James Cowan, Jr.
Again in February of this yr, Josh posted a video of his first time assembly James Cowen, Jr.
“Two months in the past, I met a person whose checking account was within the detrimental,” Josh stated within the video. He then tried to reward James with $500 however as a substitute of taking the cash, James donated to a nonprofit he was elevating funds for.
“James Cowan, Jr. got here into my life throughout a extremely tough interval for him. He was rebuilding his life after habit and was going through eviction,” Josh advised The Blast. “We shared his story, and strangers on the web rallied round James and his household. My group was in a position to assist too, and that help modified what was doable for them. What I didn’t know on the time was that it wasn’t going to finish with one video.”
When Josh came upon that James was about to be kicked out of his house attributable to a felony historical past, he began a GoFundMe to assist James and was in a position to elevate $40,000.
Making Certain Every Video Is About The Expertise
Josh’s videographer, editor, and co-producer, Ben Steine, helps to form the tales that Josh tells on social media. He’s additionally concerned in lots of the selections made about how they current those who they meet and assist.
“James’s story is definitely a extremely good instance of why Ben issues a lot to what we do. I often is the individual individuals see on digicam, however Ben is usually the one that takes what occurred that day and turns it right into a story individuals can actually really feel. He helped deliver James’s authentic story to life,” Josh advised The Blast. “I believe a part of the explanation Ben understands the significance of documenting moments goes again to his family. His dad was paralyzed, and there have been issues he bodily couldn’t come alongside for anymore. Ben would use video to indicate his dad what he had carried out that day so his dad might nonetheless expertise a few of it afterward.”
He added that for Ben, it’s not nearly getting shot; it’s additionally in regards to the expertise for somebody who’s watching.
An Replace On Josh And James After That First Assembly
The story of the friendship made between Josh and James didn’t cease when the cameras stopped rolling. He lately shared a much-needed replace on the place they stand in a video posted in Could. Months after that first probability assembly, Josh was in a position to give James some extra thrilling information.
“James Cowan, Jr. is now a full-time worker on my group,” Josh advised The Blast. “He handles a variety of the human aspect of what we do, speaking with households, doing outreach, serving to us on filming days and following up afterward.”
Josh added, “Ben helps deliver the story to life visually, and James helps be certain we always remember there may be an precise individual behind the story.”
The group of three talk about the whole lot from what to publish, what they shouldn’t publish, and the way they will correctly inform somebody’s story.
“That’s most likely the largest distinction between the early days and now,” he continued. “It went from me making an attempt to make movies individuals would watch to having a group that spends a variety of time fascinated by the individual behind the video and what occurs to them afterward.”
Josh stated this specific story modified his perspective as a result of it confirmed “what can occur whenever you don’t deal with the viral second because the ending. He added, “if we had handled his first video as the top of his story, we’d have missed the most effective half.”
Josh Liljenquist’s Message To Everybody
When requested what his primary message is to everybody following his social media pages, Josh stated, “reside to like.”
“There isn’t some loopy dramatic origin story behind it. The phrase truthfully simply popped into my head one morning, nearly like a eureka second. Stay to like is the best way I describe the mission behind what I do. It isn’t the title of a nonprofit. Over time, although, the phrase has meant an increasing number of to me.”
As for what’s subsequent for Josh, he plans to maintain doing what he’s doing, making a distinction wherever he can. He additionally hopes to get “higher at what occurs after the video.”
“The group has grown, and we’re placing much more thought into follow-up,” he stated. “It isn’t sufficient to me anymore for one thing to get hundreds of thousands of views or for a fundraiser to lift an enormous quantity. I wish to know what really modified for that individual. James might be the right instance of why. I’d like to maintain discovering extra of these second chapters. I additionally by no means need this to turn into so massive that we lose the non-public a part of it.”
If you understand somebody in want and also you wish to nominate them, Josh has set up a page. You’ll be able to observe all that Josh and his group are doing on TikTok.
