Influencer
Jack The Whipper On Avoiding Burnout, Building Live Audiences, And Staying Authentic Online
Live performer and social media star Jack The Whipper travels the country as a professional circus performer specializing in whips paired with his famous comedic timing. Learn about his journey to becoming a social media sensation and full-time performer and how you can avoid burnout by setting boundaries and diversifying your income.
Since he was six years old, Jack Lepiarz has been performing for audiences. Initially trained by his father, a circus performer, Jack travels the country, appearing on stage as “Jack The Whipper” and capturing the audience’s attention with his comedic timing and showmanship.
Jack has nearly five million followers across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and other social platforms, so you may be surprised to learn that his social media stardom was unplanned.
Jack’s wife suggested he start a social media account for his shows at the Renaissance Faire, but he put it off. In September 2021, a fan posted a clip of Jack performing that went viral, prompting him to create social media platforms showcasing his talents. After six months of consistently posting, Jack realized that social media was the key to becoming a full-time circus performer, especially after Ian from A3 Artists Agency reached out to him.
Jack The Whipper On Avoiding Burnout, Building Live Audiences, And Staying Authentic Online
Working with A3 Artists Agency
A3 Artists Agency is a talent and literary agency fostering the careers of influencers, performers, filmmakers, and other creatives.
After signing with A3 Artists Agency, Jack shares that the team has fostered his social media presence and full-time career as a circus performer. He especially appreciates their flexibility with significant events in his personal life, like his recent wedding and honeymoon.
Creating a Unique Personal Brand
With his unique talent and showmanship, Jack stands out on social media, but he shares that it’s still important to lean into what makes you the most interesting because of the competitive landscape.
He explains, “I figured out pretty quickly that people like whip songs. I use whip songs to make a beat, and I sing. I make up songs on the fly, and people seem to like that, but I decided early on that I couldn’t just make that everything I posted, so my rule is I post one whip song a week nowadays.”
Jack feels this limit also pushes him to make other, more creative content around his shows. For example, he is currently working with another creator on content where he teaches the creator to crack whips.
He also takes the same approach to content creation as he does with his shows – his end goal is always the same: making people laugh and enjoy the show.
Jack shares, “I want people to know that what I do on TikTok is just a snippet of what I do in my stage show and to see all that you have to come to the stage show… I try to be somewhat accessible [to fans]. I’ve talked with other creators, and there has to be a balance in terms of making yourself accessible to your fans without burning yourself out.”
For Jack, this looks like engaging with commenters and responding to messages, although he shares that as his platform has grown, he’s had to take a step back from responding to direct messages for the sake of his mental health.
@jacqueszewhipper HADOUKEN #firewhip #fireball #jacqueszewhipper ♬ original sound – Razor Fenrir
Setting Boundaries to Avoid Burnout
Burnout is something that most creators deal with at one point or another. Recently, Jack felt burned out and shares that setting boundaries with how often he responds to messages, even from his biggest fans, has helped.
He adds, “I think that every creator deals with the cycle of boom and bust that we go through. You have something go super viral, get tons of views and new followers for a bit, and then things kind of die down, and you’re [asking], “What now? Have I peaked?”
Jack protects his mental health by not obsessing over metrics, like views, as much.
Previously, when he posted new content, he checked the views every 20 minutes to see how the post was performing. Now, he won’t look at the post for at least an hour, and even then, he’ll take a more laid-back approach to responding to comments to prevent the metrics from taking over his life and mental space.
His advice for other creators? “Make sure you’re taking time for yourself. Make sure you’re not burning out, and don’t over-engage with fans early on. Don’t overpromise them things that you can’t do.”
@jacqueszewhipper This was my opening song until I realized it’s really long and always leaves me super winded #allstar #smashmouth #renfaire #renfest #jacqueszewhipper ♬ original sound – Jack The Whipper
Brand Collaborations
Jack has enjoyed working with many brands. One of his favorite collaborations was with Regal Cinemas because they were easy to work with and open to his ideas.
Some of the comments on his video featuring Regal Cinemas were that viewers didn’t realize it was an ad until the end because the content was so enjoyable.
Jack firmly believes that brands that give creators more control over sponsored content will reap better results.
He shares, “The most frustrating thing is when I get a list of deliverables that forces me into a certain delivery style way of doing the ad that quickly makes it clear it’s an ad. When doing an ad, I want to find ways to be silly about it. Keep it whimsical.”
Diversifying His Income
Jack is active on many social media platforms, so he’s diversified his income through the TikTok creator program, YouTube ad monetization, sponsorships, and more.
He explains, “I’m also in a different situation than a lot of creators because I have a revenue source completely outside of social media – live performance, and being able to drive people there gives me a way of making money.”
For creators who aren’t performers, Jack recommends looking into live appearances to diversify their income further.
Staying Authentic & Maintaining Personal Boundaries
Authenticity online is critical for engaging content that viewers are wholeheartedly invested in.
Jack prioritizes staying true to himself in his content but also strikes a balance by not sharing much personal stuff, such as his family. The only family member who regularly appears on his social media is his dad, who is also a performer.
He shares, “I research every brand that approaches us and make sure that if I don’t already know them, I make sure it’s something that I am comfortable with, but otherwise, I’ve generally been pretty selective with what we take on.”
Performance Metrics for Success
Jack’s retention rate is one of the top performance metrics that he prioritizes to understand the success of his content and gauge how interested viewers are in different types of content.
A more unique metric he monitors is fans for live performances. He considers online metrics and anecdotal evidence for this, mainly when he receives messages from fans asking him to perform in specific locations. This information helps him decide where he’ll perform in the future.
Long-term Goals
Jack says, “My goal is to continue growing and make sure that at the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror and feel good about what I’m doing and what I did that day. Beyond that, I want to build up live performing as much as I can and be able to perform in and book out theaters.”
