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Sam & Bo Xu

Episode 064

Creating Content Outside the Box

Sam & Bo Xu are twins from Xiamen, China. When the boys were nine years old, their mother immigrated to America, but due to some misfortune in the paperwork, only Bo was able to go with her. Four years later, Sam was able to join his family in Lemoore, CA. During High School, Bo started up his YouTube Channel (bomiiao), posting some comedy skits. A turning point in their channel happened when they posted a different look at a trending video topic, and it went viral. With the knowledge of how to create good content that people like to watch, the boys took to TikTok with a passion. Sam was the one to make his own TikTok account first, where he started to gain a lot of views. When Bo joined TikTok, he started a fun competition between their accounts. Making use of the trends on TikTok, they were able to grow their accounts to the point where they could take brand deals and support themselves. With the money they made posting content, they bought their own place in the San Gabriel Valley and an apartment closer to the college they are attending.

A push to think outside the box when it came to making content came when both Sam and Bo got banned from TikTok when they joined others in using trending audio. From there, they made other accounts as well as continued to manage different company TikTok accounts. When Bo’s new personal account was banned, he decided to focus more on managing the accounts of different companies.

TikTok: @dappzsports

TikTok: @grandpasostrong

YouTube: Bomiiao

YouTube: dappz sports

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Sam & Bo Xu Quotes

  • “My ban helped me, to know how to make me know how to make more videos with other companies.
  • “I love filming; hold it in front of me, and I just know what to say, what to do”
  • Sam and Bo are twins that were born on an Island in China
  • They immigrated to the United States at different times
  • They moved to rural California from a city
  • They started making videos as young teens 
  • They are avid sports fans 
  • Sam and Bo have made a career of going viral and have ambitions to make that work for big companies.
  • Sam and Bo are so young that they didn’t even have dial-up internet. Their first types of social media were Instagram and Vine.
  • Russell and Scott sit down with 2 influencers and explain what they do.

 

SAM XU BO XU

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Sam and Bo are originally from China. Specifically, they are from Xiamen, China. A place that is known to be clean has incredible seafood and incredible islands. 

They were separated when they first came to the United States. One identical twin stayed in China a little longer than the other, and they were reunited when they were 13 outside of Fresno. 

Sam and Bo now try to make themselves look different than each other because they were made to wear the same clothes and look the same as children. 

The young creators had interesting ideas about the world as a whole when they were young and did not necessarily grasp how far their twins had been from them at a young age. 

WHAT WERE YOUR TEENAGE YEARS LIKE?

They had to adjust because when the boys were young, they lived in the city of Xiamen, but when they moved, they moved to the country. They grew to appreciate the quiet of rural California. 

WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING A FOREIGNER?

Compared to what they had seen on TV where they were living in the country didn’t seem like they were actually in America at all. They were confused; they expected something different.

They also had to work hard to learn English to get over the language barrier. And while at school, they were different; they were not bullied. They were different, but their classmates welcomed them. Unfortunately, not everyone was kind and welcoming, but they got used to racism. 

They went to a small high school. There was maybe a class of 60. 

WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL?

They really enjoyed watching YouTube and got into filming. They took it seriously, and because of that, it became something more.

Their first video was a fake they made of one of them meeting their “long-distance girlfriend.” It was a girl from their class. They went viral from reading and understanding the trend. 

WHEN DID YOU POST YOUR FIRST VIDEO?

The oldest video they have is from 4th grade, and it’s still up. 

It shows that they have really been working on creating content for a long time. 

Vine was popular at the time, but it was more popular among adults. At least from their perspective. They were unique in their social circle.

It led to their passion for the camera.

From the time they went viral, they really became invested in making YouTube grow for them. 

They also saw financial success from their YouTube growth. That was new for kids who had 5 dollars in their account to earn hundreds every day. 

HOW DID YOU END UP IN THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY?

So Cal is a dream destination for those who grow up in central California. Thankfully with the twin’s success creating, they were able to make those dreams successful. 

During Covid, they used that opportunity to film a lot, and that’s when they made promotional deals. And that’s when the real money started.

When they moved, they also did it for professional reasons. They wanted to collaborate with more people as well. 

They were able to transfer their skill for content to TikTok easily. From there, they found even more success in following trends and going viral. 

TikTok became their main source of income.  A small amount is from the video itself, but the majority of the money comes through ad promotions. 

After being named on the app, the two have made numerous accounts since. They have also started working for other accounts and helping them grow as well. 

WHAT DID YOU BRING?

Sam and Bo brought their 10,000 subscriber plaque. It shows where they started and where they are going. 

They also brought poker cards as an homage to the magic and sleight of hand that Sam can do. 

They both also really enjoy sports. The twins liked sports so much because there was no language barrier. When they first came to America, they found comfort in that and found a way to bond with others. 

SGV III

Bo Xu

1. The Horse Races near the West Field Mall. He loves to gamble, so it’s a great time. 

2. Arboretum Park across from the race track.

3. Mr. ChopSticks is also near the mall

Sam Xu

1. Downtown Pasadena for food and nightlife

2. Santa Anita Mall

3. Sam is also a gambler and enjoys horse races. 

Picture of Sam & Bo Xu

Sam & Bo Xu

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