How Connor Wood Turned a 'Scary' Layoff Into a 'Successful' Influencer Career: 'There’s No Shame' (Exclusive)

Connor Wood got fired from his job, but his career only got hotter from there. 

Life wasn't always a standing ovation for the TikTok personality who now doubles as a stand-up comic on tour. Having gone through numerous layoffs straight out of college, he began sharing his struggles online and ended up resonating with an audience who'd soon become his fans.

Wood, who's amassed one million-plus followers across TikTok and Instagram, first went viral for his comedic approach to a "scary" time in his life upon moving from his native Texas to Los Angeles for a job that he ended up losing when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

At the time, his place of employment was Bumble, an online dating company that's now ironic for the 29-year-old social media star who's famously been regarded as "the Internet's crush." This nickname, in part, can be attributed to his self-described "god complex" and "observational" material combined.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Wood opened up about his career trajectory which was nonetheless ironic itself. It began by sharing "funny" content about getting fired from his job — though understandably, he says his actual situation "was not funny to me" at the time.

Plus, Wood toggled with the "influencer" title after initially thinking it was something he "can't do" because of the traditionally expected route he took upon graduating from the University of Texas. "I have a degree!" he touts.

Wood says he was "addicted" to working at startups, a "disease" he jokingly identified with after college. "Once you do a startup, you can't stop working at startups," he admits. "It's like a toxic ex-boyfriend. You just keep going back."

Living in Los Angeles with a house full of friends was what Wood thought would only be a two-week experiment, that is until the COVID-19 pandemic hit and extended his stay for an entire year. Together, he and his friends created videos and posted them online, until eventually, his pals went back to work.

"I did not go back to work," says Wood. "That was so scary because the pandemic started wrapping up and everyone started going back to work. I had nowhere to go," he recalls, adding, "I applied to 99 jobs and I could not get a single interview for any job."

Naturally, Wood continued to create content and upload them online. "I was posting videos about that whole process," he says of his search-for-employment grind that "ended up being relatable stuff" for his viewers who were experiencing similar situations.

There was one TikTok post, in particular, that gave Wood the confidence he needed to continue onward with the selfie-styled videos he was creating by himself rather than with his friends. Well, it was more like who liked the post that did it — Emma Chamberlain.

"I remember being like, 'Oh, if she approves, this is a career'," he recalls of the kind gesture shared by Chamberlain, who was one of the first online creators to find fame by speaking to the camera in a candid, uncut style for vlogs (and now boasts nearly 30 million followers across social platforms).

What started with a compliment from Chamberlain soon after evolved into recognition from Wood's idols-turned-peers in the comedy space. "I love Amy Poehler from SNL," he says of the comedian, recalling a memorable time they met.

"Her being like, 'I'm familiar with your work.' I was like, 'Oh my God, you're lying. This is a joke. My whole life's a joke,' " he remembers of their exchange. "It was so awesome. She's such an angel."

The stand-up comic on the rise has shared the stage with seasoned vets, too, like opening shows for Bill Burr and Tiffany Haddish. "That was insane," he says, adding, "All these people I've watched for so long... I'm so thankful."

A-listers aside, Wood has developed a niche demographic of fans since going viral in 2021. "My audience is definitely mostly women," he points out, calling them "really special" and praising their "sense of humor."

"They show up and they have so much fun. They're so responsive, so engaged and just so happy to be there — and people make friends," he says. "They're like, 'I came by myself and I met three friends... now we're going to Mexico together'!"

For Wood, it's hard to comprehend the near-unimaginable response his craft has received since stepping away from startups and pursuing this untraditional career of content creation that's evolved into full-time comedy success.

"It is the fakest real job," he says. "I think everyone's an influencer. I mean, there's no shame in it."

Even Wood's own mom and dad had a tough time wrapping their heads around it! "My parents did not take it seriously until they had friends that they played pickleball with come up and say, 'My daughter watches him' or 'My nephew and niece follow your son'."

When the realization set in that Wood's self-paved comedy career had really taken off, his dad — who he says "got recognized in a dollar store in Texas" — turned his son's "childhood bedroom" into "a man cave," a sign that makes Wood confident that they are supportive.

"I know he knows now I'm not coming back," says the LA-based Wood. "I'm not moving home, I'm successful."

Not only that, but Wood's mom and her 30 friends "got a party bus" and "bought the first 10 tables that are front row" when the comedian returned for a hometown show. Next, his parents are hitting the road to support their son's Fib & Friends tour, even traveling internationally for its European leg.

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Amid Wood's meteoric rise since getting let go by Bumble in 2020, there's no denying he's accomplished a lot. He created a name for himself, outside of his "Fibulaa" handle online.

In addition to social media stardom, Wood created the hit show Brooke and Connor Make A Podcast and has opened sets for comedy legends. He embarked on a national tour and an international one too. He launched merch. Oh, and he was been nominated for People’s Sexiest Man Reader’s Choice.

When you really think about it, technically Wood created a startup of his own. "I'm working for myself now," he says. "I'm the brand that I work for... It's the hardest I've ever worked in my life by far."