ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — They call him the "CEO of Ohio," but he isn’t really anyone’s boss.

 

What You Need To Know

  • The Ohio native has gained almost 200,000 followers on TikTok

  • He shows off different parts of the buckeye state

  • The local social media influencer is now using his platform to raise awareness for mental health

 

Joey Kinsley is actually a rising TikTok star, and he got famous on the social media app for showing off the state of Ohio.

"I started posting a couple of Ohio videos and for some reason they kind of took off, and I decided to make more, and then I branched out to the Midwest," Kinsley said. "I made some things about high school stereotypes, and things like that.”

Kinsley showcases areas all around Ohio, highlighting the best of what the buckeye state has to offer.

“Right now what I’m doing is traveling to a lot of places in Ohio. I'm meeting with the mayors, the visitor's bureaus, main street directors, and people who just want to give me tours and things like that and It’s cool 'cause I get to see all of the places in Ohio. You know, Ohio gets a bad rap for whatever reason,” said Kinsley.

Each week, the 26-year-old's TikToks get an average of seven million views. Some would say Kinsley’s audience reach justifies his nickname as the "CEO of Ohio." The social media influencer said the name originally came from a joke.

“A lot of people on TikTok say they are the ‘CEO’ of something, so people know what their niche is, so, I saw a few people do that so I just called myself the ‘CEO of a Ohio’ as a joke, then people kind of started calling me that, and it was too late for me to reverse it,” said Kinsley.

Out of all of the places he's visited and what he's seen, he was quick to answer one last question: what’s his favorite thing about the state?

“My most favorite thing honestly, would just be the people. The people are great, they are down to earth, they are always willing to help. Just the Ohio and Midwest culture I think it is just fantastic. I tell everyone, even the people out of state, I would never want to be born anywhere else or live anywhere else. I am so blessed to be an Ohioan—I’ll always cherish that,” said Kinsley.  

Kinsley is branching out beyond making TikToks. He is using his new-found platform to raise awareness for mental health. He started an organization called “We Choose 2 Change.” You can get involved on Twitter and Instagram.