TAYLOR, Mich. – At 25 years old, Dylan Lemay has turned himself into a star. He’s known for his amazing ice cream videos on popular social media app, TikTok.
He is now using his internet stardom to pave the way for him to pursue a passion.
Before the viral videos, throughout high school, college and after graduation Lemay worked at ice cream shops. When the pandemic hit, he took his skills online.
“I hit a million followers on Tik Tok within 56 days, which is absolutely insane; blew my mind,” said the content creator.
The videos are leading to more than just millions of views and likes, but new possibilities.
“I thought dreaming big for me would be to own a franchise of somebody else’s one day. But then I realized through the power of social media and my following, these people that just love and support me and love ice cream, that I’m able to open my own shop now,” Lemay said.
He plans to open an ice cream shop in New York City this summer. New York City has the most concentrated amount of his viewers and is a huge travel hub. The goal is to eventually open a location in Michigan too.
Lemay’s success has also taken him back to Taylor High School where he graduated several years ago.
Thursday Lemay surprised the two classes with the most completed i-Ready skill assessments. Teacher Jennifer Phillips said with all the ups and downs the students have had the last several months, Lemay’s surprise meant a lot.
“It was a nice surprise for them, something to look forward to and just encourage them to do it well and continue doing what they’re supposed to be doing in the classroom,” said Phillips.
Lemay was also able to stop by his favorite teacher’s class. He said giving all of those students ice cream was special for him.
“For the longest time I beat myself up about it, thinking I was failing. I did the same job I did as a kid, but now it’s been able to change my life. So I want kids to realize that through the internet, they can hijack what’s normal and create amazing careers on the things they love to do,” Lemay said.
Partnering with his former high school was how Lemay chose to celebrate hitting three million followers on YouTube.