Dan Cooking (@dancooking7) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss his remarkable journey as a 14-year-old TikTok sensation feeding the homeless in New York City. In this episode, Dan shares how a simple observation of a homeless person outside his subway station sparked an idea that has now garnered over 70 million views on a single video. Host Ross Borden explores Dan's journey from making basic cooking tutorials with just 200 followers to amassing 2 million followers across platforms, diving into his creative process, his partnership with Instacart, and his viral collaboration with MrBeast. Dan offers behind-the-scenes insights about approaching people experiencing homelessness with dignity and respect, plus practical advice for young creators facing criticism: "People are always going to laugh at you no matter what you do... it's all about not letting that get to you." Whether you're an aspiring content creator or simply interested in social impact, this conversation delivers a valuable perspective on combining passion with purpose to make a meaningful difference. To learn more about CREATOR: The Podcast, visit creatorthepodcast.com 00:00 - Introduction to Dan Cooking 00:36 - Host & Episode Overview 01:20 - Explaining the Channel & Age 02:45 - Origin Story and Early Viral Success 04:06 - Fundraising & GoFundMe 06:05 - Family Support & Reaction 07:02 - Signature Dishes & Cooking Style 08:10 - Approaching and Interacting with People Experiencing Homelessness 09:16 - Goals, Scaling, and Future Plans 10:45 - Brand Partnerships & Instacart Support 15:28 - Collab with MrBeast 17:14 - Other Collaborations & Dream Collabs 18:22 - Future Project Idea: Michelin Meal Collaboration 19:20 - Creative Background & Empathy 21:56 - Where to Follow Dan & Closing