Skip to main content

This guy quit his high-paying job to Periscope full-time

If you could quit your full-time job to Periscope for a living and help those in need, would you?

Jon Jacques, a 20-year-old who worked at a video marketing company in New York City, has been spending his free time after work and on the weekends showcasing his street magic performances on the live-streaming app, Periscope. After a while, he realized he could turn his hobby into his dream job. In June, Jacques gained the courage to quit his high-paying job so he could Periscope full-time.

In a video posted on his GoFundMe page, Jacques said, “I had this crazy idea to go to Times Square in NYC and do some street performances to raise money, but not to keep the money, to take that money and donate it to noble people via random acts of kindness.”

Within 24 hours of creating his first GoFundMe page, Jacques raised $700. Soon after, Jacques decided to launch a second page so he could raise even more money, this time with a goal of $5,000.

Jacques left it up to his contributors to decide where he should donate the money, and they voted that the donations should go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. As far as the rest of the money goes, they voted it should to go towards random acts of kindness.

Even though Jacques has already raised a couple hundred dollars, he said he hasn’t spent any of the money on himself. Jacques made sure to save up enough money over the past few weeks so he could live without earning a steady paycheck.

Jacques has earned more than 22 million hearts and is ranked No. 16 on Periscope’s Most Loved list worldwide.

Jacques told Mashable he was drawn to Periscope because “it can give anyone a platform to tell their story. It can give people a voice.”

Jacques will continue to reach out to people who need a magic moment and could use the extra support. People who donate to Jacques GoFundMe page can learn more about the individuals stories and watch live through Periscope.

If things don’t end up working out for Jacques, he said he’ll definitely go back to working full-time.

Editors' Recommendations

Karen Tumbokon
Karen is a technology, music and entertainment writer. Originally from New Jersey, Karen began her writing career in music…
TikTok isn’t paying its biggest stars, but they don’t really care
tiktok ad monetization creator strategy analysis tiktokmoney illustration grain d 200528

Cam Casey has had a breakout few weeks. The 19-year-old TikTok personality, who had barely a million followers in late March, now records skits and goofy videos for more than 4.0 million followers -- after racking up no less than 2 million followers in the past two months alone.

The flood of new viewers in Casey’s audience is a testament to TikTok’s triumph during the pandemic. As the demand for entertainment continues to climb across the world, short-form video app TikTok has been riding that wave. But unlike other popular platforms such as YouTube, creators don't get a share of TikTok's impressive ad revenue. The app has made them so successful, however, they can make money in other ways.

Read more
Sen. Ron Wyden: Trump wants to force Twitter to ‘play host to his lying’
Trump Twitter

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week that's aimed at regulating social media companies, claiming that Twitter, Facebook, and other online platforms are the enemies of free speech.

But Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) doesn't buy it.

Read more
Patreon and Ko-fi become full-time gigs as creators lose their jobs
Patreon

The coronavirus has upended lives across the world and put hundreds of thousands of people out of work. The creative industry has taken one of the heaviest blows, with artists having their commissions frozen, gigs canceled, or jobs furloughed.

A few, however, have been able to find solace and recourse in crowdfunding. As the pandemic continues to paralyze their primary sources of income, creators have turned to platforms like Patreon, BuyMeACoffee, and Ko-fi in droves. Courtesy of their followers, many of those have been able to quickly build up a fairly steady flow of revenue.
Replacing your job with Patreon and Ko-fi
Michigan-based graphic designer Annie was laid off from her full-time, work-from-home advertising gig. Fortunately, as a weekend hobby, she had been publishing her art online, developing an active fan following that allowed her to successfully launch a new Ko-fi campaign.

Read more