Ann Arbor, Michigan - "Tiny House Tom" is not who you would expect would draw millions of viewers on TikTok. But Tom has built a major following as "The Bob Ross of TikTok" with his smooth voice, love for profanity, and constant lessons on kindness.

Tom spoke with TAG24 about his sudden rise to fame on the primarily Gen-Z dominated platform, and how he felt he fit in. After all, his videos of making beeswax cosmetics, baking biscuits, and building tiny houses just don't line up with the seemingly gruff giant with a beard down his chest.

Over time, Tom's followers realized that there was more behind the deep, resonant voice and constant reminders to be kind than just some guy making videos.

That's because in between tutorials, Tom passionately advocates for some worthwhile causes, such as LGBTQ+ rights and improved welfare programs, all while reminding his followers that accepting each other's difference is crucial.

"Why do people get so uptight about f****ng pronouns?" he asks his followers in all seriousness. "What people do on their own time is their business and doesn't hurt you, so let them do it."

Reflecting on growing up in poverty, Tom cautions his viewers to reflect on how their views could hurt others. "I'm not angry with those people who need [government help]! Life is not a zero-sum game. Stop demonizing the poor!"

These pearls of wisdom are always laced with profanity and are often delivered with a twinkle in his eye.

But how did Tom become the "woke hillbilly" his followers have come to love? He opened up to TAG24, sharing that he was not always a small-town guy, and that where you live doesn't have to determine how you think.

Before Tom earned his various nicknames, he was making lip balms from wax from his own bees: "My wife and I made lip balms just for us. We made like 10. I made a little video about it and it got a million views in a single night."

When commenters asked if he would sell them, he took a few minutes to set up an Etsy shop, not expecting 600 orders in the first day!

"They are a huge hit – there is a woman whose son has severe eczema and nothing helps except our unscented balms," he explained. Tom makes special larger tins of the balm for that family and says, "We all benefit if everybody's lives are better. If our neighbors are happy and health and educated and feel love, we all win."

This attitude of "propagating positivity" has earned him a growing fanbase. Though the lip balms are still his bestseller, he also has other fantastic creations such as hand-lathed pens, candles, and even earrings designed by his young daughter.

For a guy who looks and sounds like he could head a biker gang, it's a pretty unique offering. It's made even more special when his tutorials feature his signature multi-color manicure, courtesy of his daughter.

On top of this he finds time to manage a farm, and build tiny houses out of everything including old boats, ambulances, and hearses!

During his stint in the Army, Tom recalls he was very angry, and always looking for a fight. "No success stories come from where I came from," he said softly. "In a way a f****d up childhood makes you a better adult – nobody owes you anything."

As he started the "brutal" basic training, he noticed how boot camp and life in general was easier for a fellow soldier named Brady, who chose to be unwaveringly friendly.

When drill sergeants pickied on Tom, it was Brady who gave up his pass to help him. "Brady chips six inches of ice [in the middle of winter in Missouri] with me while everyone else is inside eating pizza. This guy right here this is my motherf*****."

That made him realize what it meant to be a true friend: "He was kind when he didn't have to be kind. I respect that and appreciate that and that to me – when somebody does something for me they don't have to, those people are my people are for life."

Tom's change in attitude opened up a world of possibilities. He went on to become a professional photographer, traveling the world to learn more about people, cultures, and kindness. "I once spent two months learning from a Mayan shaman in El Salvador who told me the universe had sent me to him," he said.

After visiting and documenting scenes of genocide in Cambodia, Tom was approached by a monk who found him crying on the side of the road, overwhelmed at what he had just seen. It was another powerful experience for him: "He was kind when he didn't have to be kind."

He has had many such encounters all over the world with people who chose kindness. These interactions informed his personality, and are reflected in every video he records.

"Hello motherf*****s!" he says with impish glee in his clips, before reminding his viewers to be more accepting and loving. The swearing mixed with his constant sense of gratitude is the spice that makes him so appealing on TikTok.

Whether he is showing off his favorite chicken, Brownie, or doing another tutorial on harvesting honey from his beehives to be used in lip-balms, the message is always the same: be yourself and be kind.

One commenter summed Tom up perfectly: "This guy is the King of Wholesome TikTok!"