Windsor-born TikToker earns an audience of millions

Zachery Dereniowski of Windsor, a mdmotivator on TikTok and other platforms, says he never set out to reach millions of viewers. But for the past year, it definitely did.

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Zachery Dereniowski from Windsor isn’t quite sure how his “mdmotivator” TikTok account reached a staggering 89.1 million likes, but he has changed his plans for his life.

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“I’m trying to capture the human connection through storytelling, being vulnerable and showing social proof that people are not alone,” said Dereniowski, 28.

“I am very grateful for this and I hope to use my platform forever.”

Launched in August 2020, the “mdmotivator” TikTok account has since attracted 2.9 million followers and counting, which has inspired Dereniowski to drop out of medical school and engage with social media full time.

You never know how it can turn out

And why does “mdmotivator” have such an audience? Dereniowski’s most popular videos take the form of social experiments: he usually stands with a sign with a message and records his interactions with strangers.

Dereniowski promises that no one in his videos is an actor and that all interactions are genuine, captured from a distance by his friend, cameraman Patrick Glaz.

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Windsor-born Zachery Dereniowski (mdmotivator on TikTok) holds one of his signs outside the Devonshire Mall in Windsor on October 26, 2021.
Windsor-born Zachery Dereniowski (mdmotivator on TikTok) holds one of his signs outside the Devonshire Mall in Windsor on October 26, 2021. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

“A 30-second video can take four hours to record and probably two hours to edit,” Dereniowski said.

“It would be easier to write the script for the videos, but people would feel it. You feel what is real when you look. The reality is what the videos are about. “

A video with 8.9 million views, obviously filmed in downtown Windsor, shows Dereniowski with a sign that reads, “Who would you like to be with now?”

In another video with 26.2 million views, Dereniowski wears a blindfold and stands with a sign that reads, “If you feel heartbroken or empty, hug me.”

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Sometimes “mdmotivator” has one more trick: For another video shot in downtown Windsor, Dereniowski posed as a beggar with a sign asking for a dollar.

If someone gave him a dollar, he responded by giving him more of his own money: $ 20 to $ 40.

Dereniowski said one of the people he interacted with in a beggar video responded with such excitement that a GoFundMe campaign for the man was started, generating more than $ 2,000 in donations for him.

“That’s the beauty of it. You never know how it could turn out, ”Dereniowski marveled. “I just enjoy that: the humanistic aspect, the unknown.”

Windsor-born Zachery Dereniowski (mdmotivator on TikTok) holds one of his signs outside the Devonshire Mall in Windsor on October 26, 2021.
Windsor-born Zachery Dereniowski (mdmotivator on TikTok) holds one of his signs outside the Devonshire Mall in Windsor on October 26, 2021. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

In another series of videos, each with several million views, Dereniowski’s sign reads, “Your Vaccine Status Will Not Change – How Much I Love You.”

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According to Dereniowski, who is fully vaccinated, his intention with the sign was not to be controversial or to promote a side. “The sign was not about vaccination. It was about love and kindness, ”he said. “I try to stay away from those kinds of questions, really.”

Aside from a few teasing words and mild skepticism, Dereniowski has yet to encounter extreme negativity towards his stunts. The most memorable reaction he has endured so far was from a young girl bowling at him while he was blindfolded.

“I never pair energy with negativity,” he said. “I found it, yes, and that is part of everything that is not written.”

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But the most surprising thing about the great success of “mdmotivator” is that Dereniowski never set out to reach so many people.

He said his original motivation was to share his own mental health struggles while studying medicine in Sydney, Australia.

“I started this account not to have a platform, but because I was depressed,” explained Dereniowski, who has no professional experience in mental health work.

“I went through a rupture, I had knee surgery. COVID got me trapped, medical school was tough. I really felt alone. “

“I created a video in the hopes that it would connect with someone else, and it just snowballed to where we are now … Really, I thought it would get 50-100 views and maybe a message. That’s all I was looking for. “

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These days, “mdmotivator” is a 24/7 passion job for Dereniowski. He said he thinks about it constantly and keeps a notepad full of his video ideas.

Dereniowski is now listed by Onefluent Inc., a marketing, public relations and talent agency. He and Glaz plan to move out of Windsor soon and continue social networking in one of the major cities in the United States.

“Unfortunately, there are not enough opportunities here at Windsor,” Dereniowski said.

“The right things happen at the right time … My goal is to get the big brands to support what I’m doing.”

Career opportunities aside, the final message of “mdmotivator” remains the same for Dereniowski. “There are good people in the world. There are so many willing to give, anonymously, to strangers they will never meet. It still amazes me. “

Dereniowski can be followed as “mdmotivator” in Tik Tok , Instagram , and Youtube .

[email protected]

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Reference-windsorstar.com

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