By Nyang’au Araka
To some people, content creation is a side hustle while to others it is a full-blown career.
Standing out in the crowded world of TikTok and Facebook takes talent, consistency, and sometimes…real tears.
This is illustrated best by Daniel Ondieki, the man behind the Facebook page Echumbi ya Gusii (the Salt of Gusii), who has managed to gather close to 500,000 followers, and hundreds of thousands of fans on TikTok.
Interestingly, his recipe for success is a plate of food, a tear-streaked face, and a sudden smile that confuses, entertains, and somehow warms the heart.
Ondieki has perfected the art of “emotional eating.”
At one point he’s chewing a mouth-watering piece of fish, promising never to cry again, yet tears stream down his cheeks like he’s at a funeral.
And then, just when you’re about to reach for a tissue yourself, he breaks into the broadest grin.
The emotional rollercoaster lasts less than a minute, but leaves viewers reeling with laughter.
What makes it even funnier is that he does all this while eating with his left hand.
In a society where left-handed eaters still get side-eyes at family functions, Ondieki has turned it into a brand signature.
In some videos, he is seen making a phone call to someone and the conversation is not pleasant, so he lets his tears fall.
“Are you crying?” the person on the other end asks.
“No, I’m laughing. I can’t cry,” he says, he suppresses his sadness with a brightening face.
Even his off-screen conversations with imaginary characters add to the comedy. He swears to someone unseen that he won’t cry, while very visibly crying.
In a digital world where many creators quit before making a mark, Ondieki’s consistency proves that sometimes the key to success isn’t just talent, but also the courage to eat fish while crying in front of the whole internet.
They say laughter is food for the soul and if indeed this is true, then Ondieki is serving an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Caution: Just don’t forget to carry your handkerchief for you might laugh until you cry, or cry until you laugh.
