Digital Social Hour with Mackenzie Sol:

Mastering Personal Branding: Lessons from a Viral Creator

Episode: DSH #1508 | Host: Sean Kelly
Date: August 25, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Sean Kelly sits down with Mackenzie Sol, a UK-born viral creator and singer now based in Las Vegas. They dive into Mackenzie's journey from a modest upbringing to achieving massive social media success (up to 500 million monthly Instagram views), and how he's parlaying that influence into his first love—music. The conversation covers personal branding, the changing landscape of the music industry, harnessing social platforms, mental health, the pitfalls of ego, celebrity encounters, and the need for creators to adapt and pivot. Mackenzie provides raw, actionable insights, candid personal stories, and reflections on authenticity as the new currency in digital fame.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power and Pitfalls of Virality

• Massive Reach, Mixed Emotions:
  Mackenzie reflects on his rapid climb from 100M to 500M monthly views:
  • "It's so crazy hearing you say that out loud, bro. That's half a billion views a month." (02:33)
  • Despite success, he’s candid about still feeling insecure and questioning if he deserves it:
    "Am I supposed to be here? Like, is that me?" (02:38)
• Navigating Haters & Validation:
  He confesses to reading comments, allowing opinions to affect him emotionally.
  • "People's opinions are so big to me, bro. It's so bad. But I really live off people's opinions." (02:03)
  • Advice to creatives: "Don't do what I do. Don't read the comments." (02:16)

Personal Branding & Career Pivoting

• Blending Content for Crossover Success:
  Mackenzie explains how he integrates comedy and music to maintain and transition his audience:
  • "If something goes viral that you don't want to do, try and incorporate what you do want to do with it... slowly incorporate it together." (03:34)
• Advice from Jason Derulo:
  • "He told me this... You've built this platform. You want to keep that platform. You want to keep these people. Just mix it together. Show them who you are, but keep being who they want you to be." (04:08)
  • Mackenzie’s approach: build first on social, then bridge into music—"the reverse Jason Derulo." (04:40)

Changing Music Industry Landscape

• Metrics Over Talent:
  Mackenzie laments the industry's prioritization of followers over raw talent:
  • "Labels... they don’t really care about the talent anymore... you have to have this following. That's where the money is now." (06:32)
• Dream of Resurgence:
  • He hopes for talented artists like Teddy Swims to ignite a shift back toward soulful, talent-first music. (07:29)

Origin Story: From the UK to Vegas

• Humble Beginnings:
  Raised in a 1,000 sq ft home in the UK with working-class parents:
  • "We didn't really have anything back home... we just did our best to keep rising." (00:52)
• American Idol Journey:
  Spotted in a karaoke bar, unexpectedly auditioned and became a finalist, gaining exposure for music and Vegas residencies. (08:21–09:49)

ADHD, Family, and Creative Energy

• Both Sean and Mackenzie discuss navigating ADHD, how it’s both a “blessing and a curse,” and how many creatives struggle similarly.
  • "I feel like a lot of creatives have things like ADHD, autism... the people that think outside the box." (11:33)

Ego, Staying Grounded, and Not Letting Fame Change You

• Mackenzie keeps his ego in check, thanks to his “best friend” mum:
  • "She’ll never let me get an ego, no matter what, man." (13:28)
• Sean and Mackenzie both reflect on the importance—and dangers—of staying humble amid attention and success. (13:34–13:55)

Influencer Access—The Importance of a Personal Brand

• Mackenzie discusses how his digital reach has unlocked doors with celebrities:
  • "I was just like, bro, I've got DMs... Odell Beckham Jr. followed me... Jamie Foxx... I spoke to Shaq about being my manager for a little while." (28:04)
• But he notes a deeper purpose:
  • "That's what I'm going to try and do with my following... just help people... hop over the hurdles I didn’t have help with." (29:05)

Social Media Burnout and The Need to Pivot

• The Algorithm Reality:
  Both agree it’s tougher to get views, and that blaming “shadowbans” is often an excuse for not adapting content. (31:15–31:27)
• Pivot or Fade:
  • "What's so scary about these viral videos right now? This ain’t gonna last forever… you need a pivot." (38:48)
    Discusses the need for creators to evolve, referencing the successes and failures of viral personalities like the Island Boys, Logan/Jake Paul, and Jack Doherty.

Mental Health, Burnout, and the Human Toll

• Mackenzie shares dark times in LA, being misled by industry players, financial struggles with his mum, and the role viral videos played in “saving his life.” (29:49–30:33)

Celebrity & Entertainment Tangents

• Conversations include Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen (Sean reveals a DM to book Seth on the pod [22:36]), and a deep dive on comedy’s dominance in podcast charts.
• Talks about the role of AI in entertainment, speculation on AI actors, and the importance of authenticity as tech advances.
  • "That's why personal brand is important now. A lot of jobs are gonna be toast." (26:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Personal Branding:

• "If something goes viral that you don't want to do, try and incorporate what you do want to do with it." – Mackenzie (03:34)

On Social Media Numbers:

• "That's half a billion views a month." – Sean (02:35)
• "Am I supposed to be here? Like, is that me?" – Mackenzie (02:38)

On Industry Shifts:

• "Labels... don't really care about the talent anymore." – Mackenzie (06:43)
• "You have to have this following. That's where the money is now." – Mackenzie (07:00)

On Humility:

• "My mum's my best friend... she'll never let me get an ego, no matter what." – Mackenzie (13:28)

On Mental Health:

• "Me and my mom, holy, 16 years old. We were struggling, living in a studio apartment with a Murphy bed, bro… moving to Vegas was my escape… learning social media, those viral videos, that's what really saved me." – Mackenzie (29:49–30:33)

On Creative ADHD:

• "I feel like a lot of creatives have things like ADHD... the people that think outside the box." – Mackenzie (11:33)

On the Importance of Adapting:

• "You need something unique about your show, or else you're going to be in the crowd." – Sean (32:54)
• "You need a pivot. Like you said, pivoting is going to be the most important thing." – Mackenzie (38:48)

On Viral Fame & the Pressure to Escalate:

• "The problem with streaming is you got to keep doing crazier to get views." – Sean (39:09)
• "I just want to sing a song. But no one's gonna give a shit... I'd rather it's 100 million streams on a song, you know." – Mackenzie (39:17)

Noteworthy Segments by Timestamp

• [00:49] Mackenzie's working-class UK roots
• [01:19] Bullying, social outcast, and motivation for personal success
• [02:03 – 02:21] Social media anxiety, obsession with feedback
• [03:15 – 04:08] Advice on merging viral (comedy) content and music
• [04:08 – 04:40] Wisdom from Jason Derulo on personal branding crossover
• [06:32 – 07:29] How the music industry is driven by numbers, not talent
• [08:21 – 09:49] American Idol story and its impact on his career
• [13:28 – 13:50] Importance of staying grounded, ego dangers
• [15:54 – 17:05] Soccer passion, identity, and never-ending drive
• [29:05 – 30:33] Leveraging influence to help others and personal story of hardship
• [31:12 – 31:27] Adapting content, facing algorithm changes
• [38:48] The necessity to pivot for long-term relevance
• [39:09 – 39:17] The streaming arms race and yearning for creative authenticity

Final Reflections

This episode is a rich window into the mindset of a modern digital celebrity. Mackenzie Sol exemplifies how personal branding, strategic pivots, vulnerability, and raw hustle are essential in an increasingly noisy social landscape. Despite intimidating numbers, he remains committed to music, authenticity, and using his platform to help others break through. Both Sean and Mackenzie stress that viral fame is fleeting unless you can evolve, stay grounded, and know your "why."

Where to Find Mackenzie Sol:

• Instagram & other platforms: @mackenziesol
• Residency shows: Virgin Hotel (Thursdays), Aria (Wednesdays), performing nightly with Shin Lim in Vegas