By Destany Fuller | WeINSPIRE Journalist

SAN MARCOS, Texas – In the era of the influencer, many people allow themselves to change once they gain millions of followers and supporters in their lives. However, this is not the case for Rob Kenney, a man who developed his fame by simply being himself in front of his camera.

Kenney is the creator of “Dad, How Do I?,” a YouTube channel where he offers a range of dad advice, affirmations and tutorials to people who may not have it otherwise.

Kenney explained how he previously had the idea to start his channel years earlier but was pushed to actually create it in 2020 after the pandemic and heavy encouragement from his daughter. 

“It’s something I thought of a few years ago,” Kenney said. “I thought I was just going to help a few people. Thirty or 40 people… I kept thinking to do it and got busy and never doing it and with the pandemic, it kind of forced my hand. My daughter was on me, ‘dad you need to do it; I have a lot of friends who would benefit from it.’ So I started my channel April 1, and then on April 2, I did ‘How to Tie a Tie.’”

Kenney shared his experience growing up with an absent father. He says this has aided him in creating his content, being that he understands what it’s like to learn things the hard way.

“I have the background where my dad left,” Kenney said. “I did kind of have to fight for myself to try to figure out things. I went to live with my brother. I learned a lot of things from him, but he was my brother and not a parental figure… there [were] times where I was embarrassed to ask him about certain things, so I learned a lot of things the hard way.”

Kenney’s first video took about a month to go viral. Since then, his videos have been met with high amounts of positivity and appreciation. He shared his gratitude for the platform and all of the opportunities it’s brought him. 

“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Kenney said. “I’m ancient, so YouTube wasn’t around when I was younger. I’m trying to provide a resource for the younger me that could’ve benefited from all the things I’ve done wrong… if I help just one person, it's worth it.”

This experience has forced Kenney to grow as an individual and come out of his shell more. Since the start of his channel, he has interviewed individuals like Kevin Hart and has made appearances on major platforms such as Good Morning America, TODAY and NBC News, something he also shared his gratitude for. 

“It’s been a growth stage for me because I’ve kind of had to come out of my shell a little bit,” Kenny explained. “I’m grateful that I’ve been able to, though. The opportunities that have been out there have been really fun.”

With all of the attention following the creation of his platform, Kenney emphasized that he’s still just a normal man sharing dad advice with his audience. He added that he’s glad to be able to share his heart with his viewers.

“I haven’t changed,” he said. “We’re still driving the same cars and living in the same house… I just still try to be the same guy… There’s so much more to being a dad, or mom, than just ‘hey, she takes care of that for me, or fixes it.’ I want to be able to share my heart a little bit. Thankfully I’ve been able to do that.”

Above all else, Kenney just hopes that his audience feels his love, even though it may be through a screen. He also shared his desire to encourage the next generation to be good people.

“I want them to feel loved; that’s a big thing,” Kenney shared. “I want them to come to my channel, and it’s more than just learning how to tie a tie; I want you to know somebody cares for you.”

Kenney’s warm messages can be found on various platforms. To read about his experiences first-hand, you can pick up a copy of his recently published book here.

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