Meet JT Barnett: Former Pro Hockey Player, TikTok Influencer, and Serial Entrepreneur

Most people can’t say they’ve made the jump from pro hockey to TikTok influencer… but JT Barnett isn’t most people. After six years playing professional hockey, JT Barnett hung up his skates and went on to start — not just one — but five new businesses.

Today, JT Barnett has become a bona fide TikTok guru, co-founding projects like The Honey House, a millennial creator house with over 1 million followers, and CreatorX, a creator headhunting service. Barnett also outsources his own talent to clients like Spotify or Bulletproof Coffee, helping them finetune their TikTok marketing strategy.

It’s clear that Barnett has kept quite busy in his “retirement.” Here at TheFutureParty, we love a serial entrepreneur, so we spoke to Barnett to hear more about what makes him tick.

TFP: What inspired you to launch your agency?

I started my agency because I was doing consulting for a single brand as a creator. With that brand, one single video went semi-viral and had sold out all of their inventory, breaking their current sales record. For me, when that happened, it was an “aha moment” that TikTok is not just going to be something that can get you a million views, it’s actually something that can help you sell out of a product.

TFP: What’s your favorite part of your work?

My favorite part of my work is getting to meet amazing people who enjoy what they are doing — getting to help them with their personal well-being or business in any way!

TFP: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?

Everything comes down to relationships. Every new endeavor that I get involved with or success that happens in my career comes down to people and relationships around me. Treating others well and wanting to help others win, it’s a great recipe for success.

TFP: In the future, how do you expect the strategy for TikTok and social media to evolve?

TikTok will always be doing new updates, the algorithm will change, etc., but every platform will always look to prioritize value and a story that pulls at the emotions of the viewer. If you just follow trends, you may be pulled down different rabbit holes that aren’t aligned with the values of your company, but if you focus on bringing value and telling your story in unique ways, the content will always work.