Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be internet famous? Or what it must be like to have an internet-famous relative, child or even pet? Well, I’d like you to meet Mike Bridavsky. He is the owner of Lil Bub, an internet famous, special needs cat who went viral in 2012.
If you don’t know who Lil Bub is, first of all, how are we even friends? Second, you’re in luck because I recently had Mike and Lil Bub on my podcast to talk about life as an internet famous cat and her human.
Lil Bub has a weird genetic makeup that scientists have studied. They have found her genetic makeup in mice and in humans. Hopefully through the research they’ve done thus far, they can apply what they have learned to other cats who don’t have the means and the internet fame Lil Bub has.
Speaking of internet fame, what happens if you find yourself, or your pet, in the midst of world wide web stardom? Mike shared how he handled it and some of the steps he took to keep his sanity in check, and the steps he followed are a great lesson for us all.
If fame hits, you may feel an intense surge of excitement or like Mike, you may feel unsure about the whole thing. Here is what Mike had to say about it, “I didn’t feel like I won the lottery. I was very skeptical of the whole thing.” Mike never set out for any of this to happen, so he decided to make a few rules.
Rule 1: He didn’t specifically seek out any opportunities for Lil Bub. He let things happen organically.
Rule 2: He was clear the message was always to be about Lil Bub, not him.
Rule 3: Because Lil Bub is so unique, he made it a rule to accept and encourage opportunities that really put her and her message up on a pedestal.
So if we read between the lines, Mike set out to create guidelines that would always keep what is most precious and special about Bub in the spotlight – being true to who she is and in return, true to who he was as a person as well. If you find yourself, or your cat, in the throes of internet fame, take a step back, determine what it is you want out of the situation and make some rules, like Mike, to help maintain some form of sanity when the viral machine keeps on turning.
If you’re interested in the business of Lil Bub or want to know more about what it’s like to have an internet famous cat, head over here to listen to my conversation with Mike Bridavsky and Lil Bub.