Shaun Umscheid went from welder to viral internet celebrity almost overnight.
He’s still stunned at how it happened!
The owner of Snake Eyes Welding in Vulcan and “jack of all trades” had many ways to describe himself.
“Husband to my lovely wife of 8 years, father to 3 boys and bonus dad to my daughter. Welder by trade, demolition derby driver…”
All great things to be, but he never saw “celebrity” getting added to that life list.
After a fateful bet with his wife, the father of four’s life took a direction he hadn’t seen coming.
“It all got started with a bet. My wife and I made a bet on who could get more followers than the other. Let’s just say she still owes me for that bet a year later…” he told the Vulcan Advocate.
Shaun amassed a massive following of 4.1 million in one year on TikTok!
“I never really thought this would blow up the way it did,” said Umscheid. “It’s a pretty cool feeling that random people say ‘hi’ and enjoy my videos.”
The videos that shot him to stardom are an eclectic mix, but to summarize them, as Umsheid put it, they’re “just your average guy telling ya about everyday life hacks!”
Life hacks? How about how to crack a lock with a piece of beer can? Or the best way to build a “redneck hot tub”? Umshied puts the wildest “hacks” to the test.
They don’t always succeed, but when they do – you can rest assured you’ll hear a bellowing rendition of his signature catchphrases, “What? Nooo Waaay!” and the slightly less child-friendly “F*ck sakes!”
Whatever he’s doing, people are loving it. He’s now gotten used to people coming up to him on the streets to chat about his life hacks. He even held multiple meet-and-greets across Canada over the last few months to meet his dedicated fans face-to-face.
“I enjoy talking to people, meeting people, so it’s fun getting recognized,” said Umscheid. “It’s all new to me.”
If you’re a fan, you can check for upcoming events on his Facebook page.
He also opened a store beside Vulcan Bud Supply to sell his whatnooowaaay merchandise. Or you can buy through his online store.
Who knows, in Vulcan, you might just run into him grabbing groceries or filling up with gas.
Looking to the future, Umsheid ‘s primary occupation is still welding, but he told the Nanton News that his celebrity hobby will continue as long as it feels good and he’s having fun.
“That’s what I told my wife — if I don’t enjoy it, I’m not going to do it anymore.”
For now, he’s got a goal of getting 5 Million Followers on TikTok by New Year’s Day and is keeping the content flowing daily with no signs of slowing down.
With the community engagement he’s received so far, he’s been well on track to be the “What No Way” guy to many more people for a long time. F*ck sakes!
