Jay Valentino started creating in 2014 because his friend Jairo — yes, that Jairo — believed in him before he believed in himself. Jairo was already at 100K followers and told Jay to go for it. Jay went for it.
A decade later he’s a DJ, comedian, and actor whose most reliable co-star is his mom. She made handmade tortillas on camera, smacked his hand away, tossed one behind her back, and accidentally made one of the most Latino-internet-perfect viral moments of the Instagram 15-second era. The Flick of the Wrist. She nailed it.
What was your first viral moment?
The song “The Flick of the Wrist” was out. I made a video where my mom was making handmade tortillas in the kitchen and I hopped in. I acted like I wanted to do it. She got the tortilla out of my hand, smacked me, and was like, “You do it like this.” The song played. She tossed it in the air and caught it behind her back. It did great.
What is your go-to ritual after posting?
I try to post and let it be, but my ADHD gets the best of me. I like to like and comment in the first hour — they say the algorithm favors that. But for the most part I try to let it do its thing.
What advice would you give yourself when you were just getting started?
Just keep creating. Don’t overthink things. Stay consistent. Good things are coming.
Watch his full interview here.