Podcast Summary: Success Story with Scott D. Clary

Episode: "Angelo Bahu - TikTok Creator | From Donut Shop to 750 Million Views"

Date: November 16, 2025 | Guest: Angelo Bahu (Yoangelo)

Episode Overview

This episode features Angelo Bahu, known online as Yoangelo, who transformed his family’s struggling donut shop into a viral social media phenomenon, amassing billions of views across platforms. Host Scott D. Clary dives into Angelo’s journey from making donuts behind the counter to engineering hits on TikTok and YouTube, covering topics from brand virality and content strategy to entrepreneurship, family business dynamics, and the psychology behind online influence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Entrepreneurial Spirit & Family Business Origins

• Angelo’s Early Entrepreneurial Hustle: Inspired by watching his parents run businesses, he started washing neighbor’s cars as a child.
  Quote [02:58]:

  “I bought a bunch of car washing supplies... rolled around to every single one of my neighbors... That’s when I realized... I would love to continue to figure out how to make money on my own.” —Angelo

• Parents as Entrepreneurs: Both parents owned and managed different small businesses, with his mother running family jewelry shops and his dad running a candy store.

• The Yonuts Turnaround: Family moved to Florida and bought a rundown yogurt and donut shop named Yonuts, rebranding it several times before striking gold with donuts and ice cream combinations. Quote [07:47]:

  “Being a visionary, you see things where other people don’t. And clearly now where we’re at is because [my dad] saw something in a failing yogurt donut brand.” —Angelo

2. Viral Social Strategy Begins

• First TikTok Experiment: Without telling his dad, Angelo posted a video creating a new donut flavor, promising it’d be added to the menu if it went viral. It hit 10 million views overnight.
  Quote [09:36]:

  “I just posted it. I thought it was a fun idea, but when I woke up the next day with 10 million views... I didn’t envision that part happening.” —Angelo

• Audience Participation as a Secret Weapon: The campaign’s success was based on making the audience feel involved. Quote [13:56]:

  “What made it so viral is the fact that everyone kind of had their chance to participate... something that would strike an interest more than just a donut.” —Angelo

3. Building Virality & Relatability

• Making Content Relatable: Angelo introduced themes familiar to a wide audience (e.g., Zodiac sign flavors, trending movies like Encanto) to broaden appeal. Quote [19:07]:

  “If you don’t stop hearing about something, you probably should pay attention.” —Angelo

• Adapting to Culture: Relates viral content to real events and topics people are already discussing.

• Staying Authentic: Emphasizes linking trending topics with genuine personal interests for sustainability. Quote [20:41]:

  “It’s important to do things that are relevant, but also things that are relevant to you.”

4. Analytics, Comments, and Handling Negativity

• Learning from Feedback: Quote [24:08]:

  “You need to take the comments as feedback, and it’s important, but you need to take it more analytically than anything... you just have to learn how to source your confidence from within yourself.” —Angelo

• Detaching Ego from Comments: Don’t chase dopamine from positive feedback or get crushed by waves of criticism.

5. Going Beyond Virality: Expanding the Business

• Brand Awareness at Scale:

  “Now we’re opening thousands of miles away... people know exactly who we are. They’ve seen it on TikTok, they’ve seen it on YouTube, they’ve seen it on Instagram.” —Angelo [22:15]

• Using Audience Insights to Guide Decisions: Heavily relies on comment data to decide where to open new locations or what new flavors to create.

6. Platform Strategy & Content Adaptation

• Platform Differences: Content often performs differently across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram; advises testing, then tailoring per platform. Quote [33:02]:

  “You need to know the platform you’re posting on... initially you should just be posting your content everywhere. But after that, you understand the tone of each one.”

• Editing for the Algorithm: Sometimes approaches Instagram Reels with YouTube Shorts editing sensibility for better results.

7. Replicating & Scaling Viral Concepts

• From One Hit to Many: Stresses turning a single viral video into a series or content bucket, instead of letting the success be a one-off. Quote [51:08]:

  “You should be able to figure out how to make 20 more viral videos from that concept, because you’re creating a new category of content within yourself.”

8. Creative Storytelling Tactics

• The “Evil Twin” Series: Created a fictional alter ego to inject creativity and conflict; the series quickly built a following. Quote [48:53]:

  “He hates me. Everything I love, he hates... And I put him in a video... In less than about 20 videos... he had over 500,000 subscribers.”

• Leveraging Other Creators: Collaborating with up-and-coming content creators (like NyQuil) and encouraging them to repeat their successful formats.

9. The Science of Viral Hooks & Calls to Action

• Widening the Audience Pool (“Niche to Ocean”): Take a narrow topic (e.g. real estate tours) and make it universally relatable by focusing on shared interests (e.g., is this house worth the money?). Quote [41:41]:

  “How can you make this thing that you do in your niche and make it viral?... Stop confining it to such a small box of people.”

• Stories That Stick: Sibling disputes, public critique, and emotional hooks (e.g., adopting a puppy) are among his most viral pieces.

• Call to Action Power: Direct asks (e.g., “If everyone subscribes, can we keep the puppy?”) create massive subscriber jumps.

10. Platform Features & Early Adoption

• Betting on YouTube Shorts and Vertical Lives: Used new features before they hit the mainstream, gaining huge, early subscriber jumps. Quote [72:02]:

  “Within that three month period, I believe I was about 2 million subscribers... Just like, I was going live a lot, but within three months I got 2 million subscribers.”

11. Mindset, Perfectionism, and Creator Health

• Balance Perfectionism and Progress: Urges creators to experiment, learn standards from their own viral hits, and not let perfectionism paralyze them.
• Perseverance Through Tough Times: Family almost lost the business during COVID—shares the importance of tenacity and teamwork.
• Comparison Trap: Warns against comparing to others’ visible highlight reels.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Virality Formula:
  “Anything can go viral. You just have to be able to train your eye and your brain to figuring out how you can make that happen.” —Angelo [66:01]

• On Comments as Feedback:
  “You just have to learn how to source your confidence from within yourself. Because when you’re constantly relying on positive comments... the second it goes away, you’re lost.” —Angelo [24:08]

• Building Strategy from Failure:
  “Ninety percent of your time [is] testing what works. But then, when you find it, do not give up and leave it in the past.” —Angelo [55:11]

• Breaking the Comparison Game:
  “You’re only being shown the 1% of people, and there’s a healthy comparison... but once you start doing it to the point where you’re looking for deficiencies in yourself... that’s when it gets unhealthy.” —Angelo [91:43]

• Hard Truths About Agencies:
  “99% of agencies are going to absolutely rip you off... It’s more there’s a lack of education in what you actually need... Quick tip—when you have an agency telling you about how many impressions they’re going to be getting your brand, that’s an immediate red flag.” —Angelo [88:14]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:16] — Angelo’s earliest ambitions: business and being in the spotlight
• [04:57] — Why Angelo stayed close to his family business
• [07:47] — Vision & rebranding Yonuts after the family purchase
• [09:36] — The first viral TikTok and what made it explode
• [13:56] — Audience participation as the secret to early virality
• [18:54] — Pivoting content with Zodiac signs, Encanto, and tapping trends
• [22:15] — The impact of social media on physical store expansion and sales
• [24:08] — Dealing with feedback, comments, and negativity
• [35:55] — From haters in the store to 100 million-view content
• [48:53] — “Evil twin” content strategy and channel launch
• [56:55] — Turning one viral hit into a whole series (and why to keep testing)
• [74:21] — Why a puppy video with a call to action outperformed a 100M view video in subscribers
• [85:04] — Proving social’s real-world business impact: summoned followers, wrapped lines around the building
• [91:43] — The dangers of unhealthy comparison as a creator
• [97:35] — The grit and adversity behind Yonuts’ success story
• [102:07] — Sacrifices made for success; trading college and social life for the grind

Final Takeaways & Lessons

• Authenticity, Creativity, and Relatability are fundamental to building an enduring social brand and business.
• Virality is not a mystery—it’s a blend of sharp observation, trend adaptation, personal storytelling, and strategic calls to action.
• Repeat and expand on what works; never be afraid to test and iterate.
• Analytics and feedback should inform content, but don’t let algorithms or comments determine your worth.
• Education is the ultimate lever—understand platforms, audiences, and avoid the common agency (and perfectionism) traps.

Where to Find Angelo Bahu

• YouTube: Yoangelo (main content and viral series)
• Instagram: Yoangelo (business insights, behind-the-scenes, course updates)
• Viral Mastery Course: “21 Days to Viral” challenge for creators and businesses wanting to master the science of going viral

Host’s Closing Reflection

Scott closes with admiration for Angelo’s relentless creativity, business acumen, and ability to turn trial into triumph, highlighting that real success looks like a mix of experimentation, resilience, and a willingness to share both achievements and hardships along the way.

To learn more, connect with Angelo on YouTube and Instagram, or check out his viral growth course. For more episodes and interviews, visit: www.successstorypodcast.com