Josh Liljenquist on Around Town TV

Around Town TV transcript (00:00–32:48)

Transcript note: This transcript has been lightly edited for readability by removing non-substantive verbal fillers, correcting obvious machine-transcription errors and adding punctuation. The meaning and sequence of the original broadcast have not been changed. One brief third-party personal detail is omitted transparently at Josh Liljenquist’s request. The unrelated following-week promotion after 32:48 is preserved in the private archive but omitted from the primary public transcript.

00:00 — Opening clip: Carbone's covers 20 pizzas

CARBONE'S REPRESENTATIVE: Wait a minute. That's all right. What's it for—the homeless? So you're paying for the homeless? Can we help out?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: You don't have to, man.

CARBONE'S REPRESENTATIVE: Oh, we'd love to help out.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Well, how about you make the pizzas and we'll figure it out after?

CARBONE'S REPRESENTATIVE: Okay. All right.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Thank you, sir. What's your name?

TOMMY: Josh? Nice to meet you, Josh. Tommy. This is my family's business. This is my daughter, Haley.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Oh, seriously? That's incredible. I came to the right place. Let's support a family business, then.

CARBONE'S REPRESENTATIVE: We're taking care of it.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: No, you can't. What do you mean, dude? They're 20 pizzas. I can't let you pay for all 20.

CARBONE'S REPRESENTATIVE: Seriously, this is for the homeless, right? You're not just taking this and going to have a party, right?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: No, no. I promise.

CARBONE'S REPRESENTATIVE: Well, this is what we want to do.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Can I have a hug? You're a blessing. Thank you. Love you, brother.

CARBONE'S REPRESENTATIVE: Love you too.

[The clip shows pizzas being distributed to people experiencing homelessness.]

01:03 — Around Town TV opening

[Around Town TV theme music plays.]

01:35 — Carla Beaurline introduces Josh Liljenquist

CARLA BEAURLINE: Good evening, everyone. Welcome to Around Town TV. I'm thrilled to be back after a week in Florida. However, the 106-degree temperature change was quite a shock to my system getting off the airplane Sunday night, but it's great to be back.

My special guest tonight, Josh, has exceeded 50 million followers across platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. He has yielded more than $4 million in revenue and facilitated more than 8 million unique conversions since 2020. Around Town TV LIVE is honored to have social media influencer Josh Liljenquist, known for his TikTok videos blessing and feeding the homeless. Please welcome Josh Liljenquist.

EDITORIAL CLARIFICATION: The opening figures referred to combined results associated with Josh and former business partners in a prior venture. They should not be interpreted as Josh's current personal audience or personal revenue.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Thank you.

CARLA BEAURLINE: Josh, thank you for being here.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: No, thank you for having me.

02:37 — How Carla learned about Josh

CARLA BEAURLINE: For those of you who follow me, a lot of people know of my late parents. I happened to be invited to Josh's wedding in October because he married a dear family friend—someone who was like a daughter to me and like a granddaughter to my late parents. When I got the invitation, I did my background check on Josh. I mean I Googled you, not a real background check. I was blown away.

For those who didn't do a background check on you, would you mind sharing a little bit about your history—where you grew up and went to school?

03:16 — Fairmont, college and family values

JOSH LILJENQUIST: I grew up in a small town right by the Iowa border. There was nothing to do. I grew up with farmland around me. Our definition of a fun Friday night was to go to Walmart and look around.

One thing my parents taught me was that giving is always better than receiving. I never believed that as a kid. I thought, “That's not true. I like to receive.” Then as I grew up, I realized they were right.

CARLA BEAURLINE: What town did you grow up in?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Fairmont.

CARLA BEAURLINE: My little Maltipoo, Mimi, is from Fairmont. Ingrid and her family know little Mimi. And you went to Minnesota State University, Mankato?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Yep.

05:00 — Family service and the beginning of the channel

CARLA BEAURLINE: Tell us what got you into giving back and becoming an influencer.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: My parents used to have me do something called Meals on Wheels. We did that all the time as kids. My mom would take us along and we'd deliver food to people who were down on their luck. My parents also informally welcomed and helped raise about six different kids over the course of me growing up. That's all I really knew.

When I first started doing social media, it was more me messing around with my dad and bonding. Then it turned into something bigger than I initially thought. I was getting a lot of attention, and I asked how I could use that for good. I started doing philanthropy and helping as many people as I could with the money I was generating.

Eventually, a restaurant reached out and said, “We have extra food. Do you want to help people who need it?” I said yes. The first time I did it, it wasn't for a video. I wanted to do it because I wanted to do it. The people were so appreciative and asked me questions. It was a great experience, and I decided I wanted to do this every day for the rest of my life.

06:37 — Recovery support and long-term goals

JOSH LILJENQUIST: I brought six people who were struggling with addiction into recovery programs, and they were sober as of this interview. Those six people mean more to me than the numbers or followers because I could potentially have helped save their lives. Some of them come with me and hand out food.

CARLA BEAURLINE: What is your “why”?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: To carry on my family name. That's what my parents did and what my grandparents did. I want to make the next generation proud. My ultimate goal is to open my own shelter. I don't know how I'll achieve it yet, but I will.

09:14 — Susie and respecting camera boundaries

CARLA BEAURLINE: A lot of viewers ask for an update on Susie. I haven't seen her in many recent videos.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: I still see her and talk to her just as much as before. She made a comment that she didn't really like the cameras. She never directly said, “Don't film me,” but that comment was enough for me to say it wasn't worth it. I still help and talk with her; I just don't bring the camera.

CARLA BEAURLINE: I love that. Not everybody wants to be in front of the camera. That shows respect.

10:45 — Restaurants, referrals and paying full price

CARLA BEAURLINE: You often walk into restaurants and order large amounts of food. Once they hear what you're doing, some donate part or all of it. How do you choose the restaurants?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: It's all referral. If someone tells me a restaurant owner has a great heart and I should support them, I ask where and show up. I'm always willing to pay full price, and I want to pay full price. I don't pressure restaurants. It actually makes me uncomfortable when people offer to cover the food because I'm bad at receiving. I'm not ungrateful; I'm just not used to receiving.

12:46 — Platform uncertainty and Feeding St. Paul

CARLA BEAURLINE: How has the uncertainty around TikTok affected your plans?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Not necessarily at all. I'm diverse and don't put all my eggs in one basket. My community is strong on all platforms. If a platform shuts down, I continue doing what I do. Even if every social platform disappeared, I would find a way to make money and feed people. It's who I am now.

On some Sundays I partner with Feeding St. Paul. There are no cameras. We might hand out around 100 burgers, have a group prayer and spend time together. I do that when I'm free.

14:49 — How viewers can help

CARLA BEAURLINE: How can viewers support your future initiatives?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: The biggest thing is acknowledging people experiencing homelessness when you see them. Financially, I'm good. Even if someone is panhandling and you don't have money, you can say, “God bless. I hope you have a great day.” The people I talk to say they don't feel human. A hello or a little conversation acknowledges that they're there.

CARLA BEAURLINE: We all want to be loved. A hug, a handshake or asking how someone is doing can matter.

17:07 — Empathy and advice for aspiring creators

JOSH LILJENQUIST: I once dressed in dirty clothes as if I were homeless to see how people treated me. People said nasty things. It helped me understand a little more, though I know I've never lived through homelessness myself.

CARLA BEAURLINE: What advice would you give someone who wants to become a successful influencer?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Follow your passion. I wouldn't be where I am without passion. I eat, breathe and sleep helping people and feeding people experiencing homelessness.

18:09 — Winter outreach with J.J. McCarthy

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Here's a sneak peek from a video I hadn't posted yet. My friend J.J. McCarthy and I went to a store and bought tents, heaters, propane, hand warmers and socks because the temperature was expected to reach about negative three degrees. I went back later and people had the heaters running and were warm. I sent J.J. a picture while he was on vacation, and he said it helped him enjoy his vacation knowing people were taken care of.

CARLA BEAURLINE: J.J. McCarthy of the Vikings?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Correct.

[EDITORIAL PRIVACY NOTE: A brief personal detail about a third party is omitted from the public transcript at Josh Liljenquist's request. Josh says he and J.J. McCarthy connected because they share similar values, and that McCarthy regularly gives back off camera.]

20:47 — Carla reflects on hardship and empathy

CARLA BEAURLINE: I got a flat tire between your wedding and reception. A former hockey player and his dad helped change it. That experience—and other times in my life when housing plans fell apart—made me think about the struggles people face. I know what I went through was nothing compared with the people you work with every day, but it made me try to imagine being in their shoes.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: I sometimes bring people who have experienced homelessness with me because they can relate and give advice. I've never been through it, so I can't relate at that level, but I can have empathy. Someone who has been there can provide inspiration, and I can help with what a person needs at that time—maybe a jacket, boots or something else.

23:55 — Credit to restaurants and other helpers

CARLA BEAURLINE: Is there anything I haven't asked that you'd like people to know?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: There are a lot of helpers, so don't lose hope. I don't want to take credit where it isn't due. Restaurants that make and give food are the reason I can do what I do. They make the food and give the food; I bring it.

CARLA BEAURLINE: You also built the audience and credibility that help restaurants recognize why you're ordering the food.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Small things go a long way.

25:24 — Responding to criticism and changing filming practices

JOSH LILJENQUIST: I want feedback about how I can be better. I don't want the channel to exploit anyone. I saw criticism about that, so I started blurring faces. I'm always open to feedback that can help me adapt and improve.

26:42 — Mental health, criticism and public pressure

CARLA BEAURLINE: You receive backlash and death threats, and you regularly see people in terrible situations. What do you do to handle the emotional and mental impact?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Truthfully, I take anxiety medication. There are people saying negative things about me that aren't true, and I don't know how to combat it. But people don't know my intentions. I know my intentions. I can look at myself in the mirror at night and know why I'm doing it. At the end of the day, that's what matters.

CARLA BEAURLINE: Success can be lonely. The more successful you become, the lonelier it can be. There are more people who admire and support you than you may realize.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: There is a lot more that I do off camera than on camera. People ask where the money goes. They don't understand how much I spend on blankets, socks, coats and other necessities that I never record. I don't feel the need to record everything.

31:41 — Closing message

CARLA BEAURLINE: Thank you for taking time to share your story. Is there anything else you'd like to say to everyone watching?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Be kind. Do unto others the way you want to be treated. God is good.

CARLA BEAURLINE: Josh Liljenquist, a social media influencer known for blessing and feeding people experiencing homelessness, thank you for being on the show.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Thank you for having me. This was a blast.