Noah Beck on LOVE, Heartbreak, and Self Worth

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I think social media has changed so many things for the better, but also for the worst. This constant culture of comparison going on with young individuals. It's not really a good way to view life, constantly comparing yourself. Very grateful for everything that I have to this day, but, like, I'm still figuring it out. I still don't know what I want to do. It is not all sunshine and rainbows.

I think that's just part of being human. I think you gotta have a dream. The school of greatness.

Really?

Yeah.

Please welcome newest house. three years in the making. We met, you know, two blocks away from here about three years ago as you were on the rise to your social media, TikTok, internet, sensational fame that you've been on, I think. What do you have? Close to like 40 or 50 million followers now on all your platforms. But three years ago, you kind of who's counting? Yeah, we lost count a while ago. But back then you were just kind of taken off month by month, just like doubling and came out of nowhere. You were, I remember seeing videos of you as this, you know, D1 soccer kid, right? Who was like 19. And then all of a sudden COVID hits and you have nothing to do. You're kind of like, what do I do with my time? School year gets cut short, soccer season gets cut short. You had one dream. going towards, I'm assuming, soccer and trying to play professionally. And then you started making TikTok videos for fun as a little side thing. And in one month, I think you said you got your first million followers, is that right?

Around that, yeah. Something like that.

And then all of a sudden, when did you realize that, oh, maybe this soccer thing dream that I had for probably a decade isn't the main thing anymore? Or maybe school isn't even the main thing, but I want to start trying this other thing. When did you realize, like, this is a new possibility for you?

I would say when I think the opportunities became just too good to pass up. I think when the numbers started to grow, when emails started to come in, my email was attached on my TikTok and I started getting emails that I couldn't even believe with numbers that I had never seen before.

Financial opportunities. I saw sponsorship deals, brand deals.

Yep. all of those. And as a NCAA Division 1 athlete at that time... You couldn't make money. Couldn't make money. And I talked to the dean about it and everything. Like, I went to University of Portland and I literally told my coach, I was like, Hey, coach, I have a question. Who can you put me in contact with? I have some questions regarding NCAA and the rules because I know you're allowed to have as a D1 athlete, you're allowed to have a job if I was like a barista somewhere or something like that. Like minimum wage. Right. But, You're not allowed to make money off the likeness of your name. And although I wasn't selling jerseys or autographs or whatever, they still... I had a long talk with my dean about it. I was like, Look, making videos, you know, has nothing to do... Like, I post some soccer content, but, like, for the most part, people don't even know I play. And so... Right. So, I'm like, Is there something we can do here? 'Cause I'm getting money thrown at me that I've never seen before. And I was, like, a college student that had never really had work experience. I was like, Please let me do this. And he was like, Unfortunately, it restricts NCAA rules. And so that also kind of helped me make that decision.

Isn't that crazy? But now, just six months after that, I think NIL started, right?

Like, shortly after that.

Like, six months later, I was like, okay, now you can make money with your name and likeness.

Yep.

It was right before that the money was... I'm assuming it was in the... five, ten, twenty thousand dollar opportunities at that time early on, if not more.

Yeah.

And you're like, okay, one video to make this to pay for like a year of life.

Right.

It's hard to say no.

It's hard to say no.

And who knows what would have happened if you were able to make money as a college athlete? Do you think you would have still been playing?

Well, that's the question, isn't it? I think there's so many things that that would have played a factor that I go back and I think, you know, what if, you know, what if he said, yeah, go ahead, like, do the sponsored posts, do brand deals. Like, I don't care. I don't think I ever would have stopped. I don't think there would have been.

That you would have kept playing.

I think I would have kept playing. And I think because it was crazy because I think my dad, my dad's, like, my biggest fan, and he's my biggest supporter, and he was my coach since I was three years old, and so. and he coaches a local high school team. And so having a coach as a dad, I mean, it had its ups and downs for sure. Sometimes the car rides home were not fun, but it's one of those things where he was hard on me for the better.

And.

It just got to a point where he was like, if you're seriously considering quitting soccer, you don't even have to tell me. Like, this is-- he knows my love for the game and he knows how passionate I was for it. and I am for it. He was like, this must be something huge because he's like, I've never seen anything throw you off as much as this is. So I think he understood like the magnitude of the opportunities I was given. And obviously he said that he didn't even really need to know, but of course my mom and dad were still kind of hands on with being like, you know, talking to the right people, looking things up, and like, I give them as much info as I could, but for the most part, I didn't even know what was going on. I was like, I don't know this brand, but they're offering to pay me. So, it was pretty nuts. I can't lie. And I think there are so many what ifs.

Really?

Yeah. If the NIL would've been a thing six months prior. That's crazy. Yeah. But here we are.

I think life puts us in different directions at different moments. You know, I got injured playing football. I was telling you before he jumped on camera. and that was the dream. That was a passion. So for a year and a half, I was recovering from a surgery and an injury, and I didn't know what was going to happen next, but I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have done this show for the last 10 years. Had that injury not happen, I would have kept pursuing the same thing. And who knows? Maybe it would have a great run. Maybe I'd have broken my neck or something. You never know.

So you might have been redirected for something greater. Right. Which is interesting. And that's why I can't help but. kind of frame my mindset as I'm like, this happened for a reason. So I'm just gonna, you know, do. I mean, as athletes, I feel like growing up as athletes, I think I was telling you before the cameras were on, I. It's just kind of how we're programmed with being so structured and disciplined and being like, all right, if I'm gonna do this, I have a new, like, I got a new job, you know, it's like having a new coach. Like, you want to impress the new coach. And so every time I would do something new in the entertainment industry and in the. In this space, I was like, I'm gonna give it the best I can, and I'm gonna try to really throw myself in and like, what's the worst that can happen? You fail.

It's like, what was the biggest challenge over the last three years for you with getting so much popularity and, I guess, social media following and fame in a time of extreme cancel culture and a time of extreme celebrating individuals and cheering for people, but then also criticizing them? and these kind of two extremes. Let me follow you, comment on everything, celebrate you, and talk about you in a positive way. But then when I don't like something, let me criticize you. Let me pull you down and let me shame you publicly. How at 19 and now 22, have you navigated that process?

Yeah, I think you hit it right on the nose. It's one of those things where, It is just such a flaky industry and it's such a, you know, at one moment you're on top of the world and the next moment, like, you can breathe the wrong way and someone's got something to say. And I think in the world we live in now and with the social media, I think social media has changed so many things for the better, but also for the worse. I think this constant culture of, like, comparison going on with, like, young individuals, and it's not It's not really a good way to view life constantly comparing yourself and I think... I don't know. I... Yeah, when I first started, people at first nothing bad to say, you know? As I'm gaining traction and numbers kept rising, people were like, my God, let's like, you know, this guy's amazing, let's keep him hidden, like don't let him blow up too much, like that kind of thing. Keep him hidden? Let's keep him hidden. Like that's kind of a thing, you know? Let's keep him our secret.

Really? Yeah, because I think You're not a secret of 10 million followers already.

No, not at that point. I think when it was just before the millions, people were like, Where are these guys coming from? They keep spawning. And it's like, I just made an account. As simple as that. I think, I don't know when someone feels a part of something small, it feels a bit more intimate. And then it's funny that that is being said, though, because I have my OG fans that have been there since the early days since like 10, 20,000 followers.

But you recognize still the lead commenters.

That's still to this day, like, you know, I'm in group chats with them on Instagram. I'll chime in here and there and just be like, Hey guys, hope you're all well. Like, it's really fun having a community like that and like knowing that that 10, 30 seconds out of your day can to stop and do a group chat and be like, Hey guys, I hope you all are well, like not forgetting about you. I think that can really like, it's crazy that that can make someone's day.

Yeah.

And, Yeah, with cancel culture, it's one of those things where you kind of... I don't know. I like to think I don't really have any skeletons in the closet, you know? So, I'm just kind of like... I'm able to be authentically myself, and if you like me, follow me, and let's go on this journey together. But if not, I'm gonna lose sleep over it. If you don't like me, that's fine. But...

But how do you deal with... maybe not cancel culture for you, 'cause you don't have skeletons, but criticism culture? Of course. Make wrong or just like comparison.

Yeah.

Comparison and criticism culture where, okay, you were the, and still are, but you were three years ago kind of the newer person coming out and creating content, and now there's newer people doing that.

Newer, yeah. Exactly.

Younger or more defined abs or whatever. Whatever, longer hair.

Looking, of course, yeah.

And how do you not let your self-worth be defined by criticism or comparison at such a young age?

It's hard. It really is. And I can't lie, I think... I can't sit here and say it hasn't affected me. You know, there have been times where, you know, the likes are down, the engagement's low, you know? And as much as I don't want to ever look at that, like it's your job, you know? And it comes to a point where you kind of have to look at that and see what people are saying and seeing, like, what they want to see. And you can either choose to do two things. You can give the people what they want, or you can just keep posting stuff that you like And I think I saw or read this quote the other day. I was about-- I don't know if I'm gonna say it correctly, but it was basically something about the work's never as good when you start to cater to other people, but as soon as you start doing it for yourself, then it's a lot more like people can see right through the authenticity. And I think-- I don't know. I think that's just what I've always kind of stayed firm to, is the belief of just being myself and just posting stuff that I want to post. I'm very, very blessed and, like, grateful to have, like, the fan base that I have and, yeah, people that support me the way that they do, because at the end of the day, like, there are people that will do just about anything for a, like, or a click, and I'm just grateful that I have people that will click no matter what, like, if I put out something. But that being said, I'm never gonna take advantage of that, and I'm never gonna, like, take that for granted, and I'm always gonna try to put out my best stuff and. yeah, but I think going back to what I was saying with, like, it is a very, you know, one moment you're on top of the world, next moment, you're. You're nothing. And then all of a sudden, you have a big project coming out and Bam, you're back on top. And it's just like, I'm very aware of that, and I'm. I would Tire myself out if I constantly tried to be at the top and constantly tried to do things that would make sure that I'm at the top, get stay people talking, like. I enjoy the time when people aren't talking, you know?

Really?

I think so.

I mean, here's the thing. You got 50 million followers, so it's not like you're not relevant.

Right.

But what do you mean, like being on top versus, you know, of course, yeah. Your bottom is like 5 million views versus on a post as opposed to 100 million views.

Right.

Well, that would be someone's dream.

Exactly. It's funny that you mentioned that, 'cause I was having a conversation the The other day, with some of my friends, and we were talking about, like, who are also kind of influencers in the space, and they were kind of talking about the idea that, you know, it's the constant thing of, you know, the algorithms changed, you know, views aren't the same anymore. Like, back in 2020, like, prime time with, like, when I had just, you know, entered the house with Sway Boys, and, like, I could post a video of me staring at the camera for five seconds, and it would probably do 20 million views.

Come on.

And it was, like, I think we took that for granted. Like, I think we really. It's hard not to be spoiled to that. It's hard not to, like, see that and be like, oh, anything less than this, it's like, oh, like, am I falling off? You know, it's, like, one of those things, because I like the content that I'm putting out now way more than what I was putting out back then, you know? But like I said, there's an audience for everything, and so I think. The stuff that I put out now is definitely more authentic to who I am and more like catered to a specific audience, whereas back then it was just like, All right, anyone who wants to make a video, let's do it. Let's dance, let's have our shirts off, you know, it's gonna do well. Like, at the end of the day, like, so it's, it was funny because we were talking, we were like, if you really put it into perspective, our least viewed video is someone who's just starting this like dream. and it's hard to kind of zoom out of that. Like, when you take yourself out of your shoes and really zoom out and see for what it is, it's pretty insane how spoiled we were back then with all those views and still to this day. Like, like we were talking about before the cameras turned on, I just think I joined at a perfect time where COVID hit and everyone was all of a sudden like, what do we do? I'm just gonna go on my phone and scroll, you know? Like, TikTok blew up at that time and Being the new up-and-comer, like it was definitely a weird feeling 'cause it wasn't till a few months after I started gaining followers, I didn't think it was anything more than just numbers on a screen. And then my first time kind of going out after the pandemic, like going out meeting, like, I went on vacation with my family in California. Recognized you. People recognized me. Came up to you and... You're that guy from TikTok, like you're Noah Beck. And I was just like, yep. I was in a. I was in a dorm room, like, three months ago, you know, like, training for soccer. And this is. This is definitely. And my parents, like, my parents knew about, like, the numbers, and, like. But they thought the same thing. They were just like, oh, that's cool. You know? Like, we don't know where these Millions of numbers are coming from. Like, it could be wherever. And so when you first kind of get, like, start getting spotted, my parents were like, what? Like, it was just a new thing to all of us, and I. It was crazy. It was truly a surreal feeling.

Now, how do you manage your ego and not let it get to your head so much as a 22 year old heartthrob, athlete, social media sensation? Or maybe you haven't figured that out yet. How do you keep a good heart, a kind soul, and still be compassionate towards humanity?

Right.

With all the success, the fame, and, you know, 16 year old girls running after you everywhere you go.

Yeah, it's flattering for sure. And it's definitely got me blushing. But, like, it's one of those things where I think, again, like we were talking about before, the people that I have chosen to surround myself with in my personal life have really helped manage that. And, you know, like I said, I'm not one of the, I just.