Sometimes one video really can change a life, especially when it’s complemented by a combination of talent, passion and hard work.
In February of 2023, Justin Stagner was a shift worker at a steel mill in Calvert, Alabama, alternating between days and nights every two weeks. He’d always had a passion for comedy, even writing stand-up scripts that never saw the light of day because he couldn’t quite bring himself to get on stage, no matter how many times the guys at work howled in laughter at his stories.
Then he posted a TikTok video, making fun of his wife’s “deep fried” Southern accent, and a funny thing happened. With no platform or followers to speak of, Stagner’s video quickly garnered more than 10,000 views.
“I was like, ‘If they think she is funny, I’m way funnier than her,’” he said with a laugh. “I then did a video making fun of my grandpa, because I’ve always been able to do his voice really well.”
The rest is comedic history.
Two “Southern Grandpa Sayings” videos later, Stagner went viral, and his life changed forever.
America fell in love with its new “Southern Grandpa” and his folksy sayings. Stagner went from being a steelworker to a full-time comedian and content creator with 1.5 million followers on TikTok, 693,000 Instagram fans, and 40,000 YouTube subscribers where viewers watch his podcast, “The Southern Saturday,” and collection of hilarious short form videos.
Stagner also has a passion for golf, which brought him, along with fellow content creators Taylor Tijerina and Jake Daniel, to Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Golf Club. In his first trip to South Carolina, Stagner was as taken with the two top 100 courses as America is with his comedy.
“This week at Caledonia was amazing,” he said. “It was the nicest course I’ve ever played, and True Blue was a close second.”
As part of his trip to play the two Mike Strantz gems, Stagner is giving away a three-night, four-round trip to Caledonia and True Blue (watch this video).
“This is big deal,” Stagner said of the giveaway. “This is one of the top 100 courses in America, top 5 in South Carolina and all you have to do (to win) is follow me and follow Caledonia and tag three friends (on social media). I’ve been here for a week, and this is the most amazing golf course I’ve ever played.”
The opportunity to play golf and film funny videos was a win-win for Stagner, whose popularity continues to grow. He also sells merchandise, has finally taken the stage as a stand-up comic, and he has helped his wife – Courtnee Stagner – start a second channel that caters to women.
“It’s a little bit of a rocket ship you don’t want to end,” he said.
While there are downsides to notoriety, most prominently the online trolls who seem to live to tear others down, don’t expect to hear Stagner lamenting his rising fame.
“It’s a relief, because I was working shift work, working days and nights every two weeks,” he said. “It was brutal on my body, and I was missing out on time with the family. It was way easier to learn to stay at home with the family and do cool videos than it was to flop back and forth from day shift to night shift.”
For Stagner, his new work is a labor of love. He does all his own editing and writing, never losing focus on the audience that has powered his meteoric rise.
“I’m very grateful for every fan I have,” Stagner said. “It is still hard to believe I am where I am.”
Best of all for Stagner, given his range of talents, his career in comedy and content creation is just getting started, and if all goes well, we will see him again at Caledonia and True Blue.