Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Labrador.
Hi Brandon, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Like many immigrants in this country, my journey has been adventurous and challenging. I was born in Venezuela, and as you know, the political and economic situation of the country is not the best. This forced me to make the tough decision of leaving my family, friends, and the country I love so much. Before landing in US territory, I lived in Panama and Colombia. Living in Panama I fell in love with photography. Capturing the beauty of my new surroundings gave me the comfort to face my new reality. But being an immigrant and gay in a very conservative country made a rough start for my journey. A year later I found myself in Colombia where I lived for 3 years and studied graphic design. Then moved to the US 2 years ago to study English. But my excitement to start a new adventure was hit by a World pandemic. Being alone and confined to my home, only being able to study online, pushed me to get out of my comfort zone (believe it or not I used to be a very shy guy), and social media became my companion. One day I decided to make a video just for the fun of it and to my surprise, it went viral with 345k views. I was making fun of myself and the challenge to learn English.
Seeing how well the video was received I felt motivated to make more, most of them funny stories about what it’s like to be a chubby gay guy, which seemed to be relatable to people in the community. But as I made my comedy, I was dealing with emotional struggles. I was the funny guy on social media, but I was not taking care of my mental health which took a toll and I fell into a deep depression. These difficult times made me realize how important it is to care for your own mental health and felt the need to share with my audience the message of self-care, love, and mental health awareness through humor in my videos.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being a content creator for social media may seem easy but it is very challenging. Not only did I have to step out of my comfort zone (as I mentioned before I used to be a very shy guy), I have to be creative to come up with engaging topics and content ideas. On top of that, I have school and have to keep up with my assignments, and I have to work to pay bills just like everyone else. Contrary to popular belief, living off being a content creator does not happen overnight. But I love what I do and I know one day I will harvest the fruits of my hard work and efforts to build my brand and become a Social Media Star.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a social media content creator. My content is mainly comedy, directed at body positivity and mental health awareness. Most of my content is directed to the LGBTQA+ community based on my own experiences as a gay man navigating life in modern society. My goal is to inspire people through laughter so they can learn to love themselves as they are and build self-esteem. Living in a society where men (gay or straight) are supposed to be confident, many are not aware that men can have body issues and be insecure about themselves
What are your plans for the future?
I want to continue creating content related to male mental health, the different situations that gay guys live in our community, the importance of body positivity, sexuality, and the different taboos about illnesses that are found there; all this with the charisma that has characterized me as a content creator. In addition, I have started to create an underwear line for chubby guys to support body acceptance and diversity. Most of these things have already started but all of that is a constant learning process that is making me be more conscious about the need to make this world a better place for us and for the next generations.
Contact Info:
- Email: labradorbrandon@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_brandolin/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Brandolin
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@_brandolin
Image Credits
Juan Mendoza
