The "Rip Off and Duplicate" Strategy That Built 223K Followers and a 65-Agent Team

I just had John Tsai on my podcast, and what he told me about gaining 50,000 followers overnight completely shattered everything I thought I knew about content creation.

"I completely ripped off and duplicated somebody else's reel and I went viral," John told me. "One of my biggest idols did this one video and he kept doing it because it went viral. So I said, you know, I'm going to try exactly what he did. Like literally verbatim. Don't buy this. Buy this. I gained 50,000 followers overnight just like that."

This Vancouver real estate agent didn't stumble into viral success. He strategically studied what worked, copied it exactly, and then built a system around replication that generated consistent results for four years straight.

Here's what that conversation taught me about building a content machine that actually works.

THE ORIGINALITY TRAP THAT'S KILLING YOUR GROWTH

Most content creators are stuck chasing originality when they should be chasing results.

John proved that you don't need to reinvent the wheel—you just need to spin it faster and more consistently than everyone else. That's what he discovered when he stopped trying to be creative and started being strategic.

Think about this: every piece of "original" content you've ever consumed builds on something that came before it. The creators you admire? They studied others before developing their voice.

WHY VOLUME DESTROYS PERFECTION EVERY TIME

"Most of my posts are garbage. Absolute garbage. And you have to be okay with that," John told me. "I've put out 5,000-plus posts. And out of which are 2,500 reels. At one point from 2021 to 2022, it was two reels a day."

This hit me hard because I see so many agents paralyzed by perfectionism.

John understood something most agents never learn: volume beats perfection. Consistency builds brands. You can't optimize what you don't create, and you can't go viral if you're not posting.

The math is brutal but simple—if 80% of your content is mediocre but 20% hits, you need more content, not better content.

THE ACCIDENTAL BRAND THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

"I just, out of nowhere, one day, I just yelled on stage. I'm a beast. And that became my brand accidentally," John shared. "If you are not yourself, you're going to attract not who you are, but who you pretend to be. And that never works."

John's "Beast" brand wasn't planned in a boardroom—it emerged from a moment of authentic expression.

Your vibe attracts your tribe, but only if your vibe is genuinely yours.

THE STRATEGIC COPYING FRAMEWORK THAT ACTUALLY WORKS

"None of my videos that you see on Instagram, most of them are not original," John admitted. "Always look for viral real estate content, realtor content... If you look on Instagram, you start to see what goes viral then just copy exactly that."

This isn't about plagiarism—it's about pattern recognition.

John studied viral real estate content like a scientist, identified the formulas that worked, and adapted them to his authentic personality and market.

Most creators are afraid to admit they study and adapt from others. John turned it into his competitive advantage.

THE LEVERAGE LESSON THAT COST HIM YEARS

"Seven days a week, 12, 14 hour days, 10 years straight. I should have leveraged a lot faster," John reflected. "80% done by somebody else is 100% good for me."

John's biggest regret wasn't working hard—it was working alone for too long.

The transition from grinder to leader required letting go of perfectionism and embracing the power of delegation.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR CONTENT STRATEGY RIGHT NOW

John's success forced me to ask harder questions about how I approach content creation.

What viral real estate content could you study and adapt to your market and personality? Which successful formats are you avoiding because you think you need to be "original"?

How many pieces of content have you not posted because they weren't "good enough"? What would happen if you committed to posting daily for 90 days, regardless of quality?

What aspects of your personality do you hide because you think they're "unprofessional"? How could your authentic quirks become your competitive advantage?

Which successful agents in your market could you study and learn from? What are they doing that you could adapt for your own content?

What tasks are you still doing yourself that could be delegated at 80% quality? How is perfectionism keeping you from scaling?

THE REALITY NOBODY WANTS TO ADMIT

"If you want to market yourself, if you want to brand yourself, don't think of it as such an overwhelming thing. Because at the end of the day, it's all about authenticity."

John's success comes from understanding that social media marketing isn't about being the most creative person in the room—it's about being the most consistent, authentic, and strategically smart.

This isn't about becoming a copycat. It's about recognizing that every successful creator builds on what came before them. The key is adding your authentic personality to proven formulas.

John's journey reminded me that sometimes the best strategy is the most honest one: find what works, make it your own, and outwork everyone else in execution.

Your next viral moment might be hiding in someone else's content—waiting for you to add your authentic twist and relentless consistency.

Let this conversation be your permission to stop overthinking originality and start optimizing for results.

Let's grow!

Wendy

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