This 25 Year Old Broke The Internet

There’s an interesting movement happening online.

Gen Z founders are buying “boomer businesses”…

And making them sexy.

Not with gimmicks, but with a specific story-driven strategy.

Today, we’re breaking down one specific example. @yohnmav

He’s rehabbing a 60-year-old bowling alley, documenting the transformation, and has a larger mission around community engagement.

It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s working (700k+ followers),

But it’s also packed with lessons you can apply, whether you're building a brand, launching a new product, or trying to grow with story instead of ads.

Let’s break it down.

What he’s doing right:

1. The mission is bigger than the business.
   His narrative is about bringing back community. It’s about human connection.

2. He’s a purple cow.
   No one else on the internet is juggling bowling balls and rehabbing a 60-year old bowling alley.

3. His visual hooks are elite.
   Overflowing drinks. Spinning balls. Juggling. He’s hijacking attention.

4. He uses polls and the comment section to create ownership.
   Not only does this engineer engagement to drives more reach, but he’s tapped into the IKEA Effect, where by allowing the audience to have a say in how he rehabs it, it makes people care more, because they feel like they helped build it.

5. Everything is emotion driven
   Nostalgia, human-first, and authentic about the process

Lastly, all his videos follow a similar format…

A masterclass in storytelling.

It nails everything from narrative arc to audience participation, and it's engineered to drive connection, retention, and engagement.

Let’s break it down, line by line with commentary on what each part does.

“Today is Day 13 of rehabbing my 60 year old bowling alley”.

Why it works:

• Immediate context: We’re dropped into a journey in progress (Day 13).

• Built-in curiosity: Why is this person rehabbing a bowling alley? What happened to it?

• Purple cow effect: this stands out because NO ONE else is rehabbing a 60 year old bowling alley

“Last week, a stranger reached out to me,

but she wasn't a stranger to this place.”

Why it works:

• Sets up tension: A stranger… but not to this place

• Invites emotional nostalgia. This isn’t just a building, it has history and people who care about it.

“She used to work here, and she sent me photos from back in the day.

And, man, getting to see this place in its prime fired me up.”

Why it works:

• Taps into memory and meaning.

• Creates an emotional bridge between past and future.

“30 leagues, a packed house, and that old school charm.

The photos were amazing, but there was one thing in particular that caught my eye, the color, a light blue.”

Why it works:

• Zooms in on a tangible, emotional triggers (visuals & colors).

• Visually establishes that this was once a thriving, beloved place.

“Now I don't know everything about the building.

It's changed hands more times than a game of telephone.

But somewhere along the line, that blue turned into a gray, and, honestly, it's kind of depressing.”

Why it works:

• Admits uncertainty → makes the speaker relatable.

• Gray → depressing = visual metaphor for lost soul.

“So starting tomorrow, I'll be repainting the entire interior.

The soul is still here.

It just needs a fresh new skin to give it light.”

Why it works:

• Action = movement. The story now turns toward solution.

• Reframes the external renovation as a spiritual restoration.

“It might seem small,

but it's gonna be a big effort.

My hope is that these changes compound until we win back the neighborhood.”

Why it works:

• Raises stakes (small things → big outcome).

• Restates the larger mission: It’s about reviving a neighborhood.

“If you're watching this, do me a favor.

I made a poll of the three shades of blue I'm choosing between.

Give it a vote or drop your pick in the comment because I want this to feel like a place you build.”

Why it works:

• IKEA Effect. People care more when they’re involved in the process.

• Polls = engineered engagement which drives more reach

"Any suggestions you make have a real shot of coming to life.

Last week, someone told me to add a retro arcade game.

I got this one the next day.

So if you wanna see your ideas come to life, make sure to drop a comment, & follow your boy.”

• Establishes trust and responsiveness.

• Wraps with friendly and clear CTA

I’ve seen this strategy being used by

• a monk in Atlanta building an eco-village,

• a 23 year buying a liquor store in Canada,

• & college students building a luxury Airbnb

This is the modern playbook on how to use short form video to tell a story and rally a tribe around a larger mission.

Share this with a friend who needs it and drop me a note with your thoughts.

& If you want to jump the line to be in the 1st cohort of StorySchool where we work together to design your story + content strategy that makes strangers on the internet care — reply below and tell me more about you, your mission, and your business.

—Dodds