Right now, TikTok is basically a one-stop shop for everything people want to find. Want drama? It’s there! Looking for chill, relaxing vibes? Got that too! Or maybe you want to time travel back to your childhood with thousands of classic toys and playful memories? TikTok’s got you covered instantly!
The TikTok channel Cơm Tuổi Thơ is exactly the place for anyone craving that “childhood ticket.” But to see how good that ticket really is, just watch the clips!
The main star of these videos is Nguyễn Chấn Nam, born in 1998 from Gò Công (Tiền Giang). Nam himself is the face behind Cơm Tuổi Thơ, boasting 802k followers and over 12.3 million likes on TikTok. On Facebook, he also has more than 19k followers.
Chấn Nam’s videos focus on sharing childhood toys and games everyone has experienced at least once, like handheld gaming consoles, old “brick” phones, icy treats, cotton candy, renting comic books, and more. This genuine, relatable vibe has earned him tons of love and support from the online community.
Starting TikTok with Just $130
About six years ago, after finishing high school, Chấn Nam didn’t continue studying but went straight to work. From serving tables, factory work, to bubble tea shop jobs, he tried many different hands-on roles.
But those were just temporary gigs to earn money. His heart was set on a different dream. Back then, Nam admired JVevermind and his funny, engaging vlogs. That inspired him to create captivating videos with lots of viewers, just like his idol.
By 2020-2021, when TikTok exploded in popularity, Nam noticed many young people born between 2000 and 2004 were already killing it on the platform. So he decided to give it a shot, partly to challenge himself and find a new path, and partly to chase his dream of being like his idol.
Chấn Nam chose childhood as his theme, which is pretty rare on TikTok. “I wanted to go against the grain. While most people chase the latest trends nonstop, I wanted to look back to the past to create my own unique style that leaves a mark on viewers. As for the name Cơm Tuổi Thơ, I just wanted something familiar and easy to remember, without much deeper meaning,” the Tiền Giang native shared.
Once he figured out his direction, Nam invested everything he had into building his TikTok channel: “At that time, I had an old phone worth about 3.5 million VND (around $150) which I used to film and edit videos. I had a carpenter make me a shelf, bought props, and decorated the background for over 3 million VND more. Basically, I put all my resources into this startup. On the last day of 2021, I posted my first clip.”
Trending from the First Video with Almost No Negative Comments
His decision to go against the crowd proved to be spot on: his first video hit the trending page. Nam didn’t expect this at all: “That was totally unexpected. At first, I was just happy to get 10k views, but it quickly shot up to hundreds of thousands, then millions.” Riding that wave, his following videos went viral fast, making Cơm Tuổi Thơ a standout TikTok brand.
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing, especially when hunting down rare childhood toys and snacks. He said, “At first, it was tough finding old toys or childhood treats. For those I couldn’t find, I bought them online, even if rare, there were sellers. The harder part was my voice. At first, it sounded bad and hard to listen to, so I spent a month practicing to make it more pleasant like in the videos.”
The ideas for his clips mostly come from his own childhood memories. But since some details faded over time, he also relies on friends’ suggestions and comments from viewers. This keeps him on his toes, always brainstorming better scripts to attract and keep his audience.
About his current fame, Chấn Nam is pretty honest: “I don’t really dare to call myself famous yet. I’m just happy more people know me on social media. I’m also a bit proud to have earned a spot even though I had to quit school early while my friends continued studying.”
When a Passion Project Turns Into Real Income
Not only does Nam’s channel bring joy to viewers, but it also started making money just 18 days after launching.
“About a month after posting my first clip, I used the money I earned to buy a new phone so I could make higher quality videos. It was perfect timing because my old phone was lagging and the camera was broken. That’s why some of my videos have a blurry corner, but thankfully people still supported me. I’m really grateful for that,” Nam shared.
When TikTok introduced livestream shopping, Chấn Nam quickly jumped into that space, adding a solid income stream: “Business has always been a dream of mine. At first, I could close over 1,000 orders in a single livestream. The numbers have dropped a bit now, but I’m happy with that.”
Like many livestream sellers, Nam faces pressure. “The price I pay is livestreaming when customers are resting. Some nights I stream until 1 or 2 a.m. Sometimes I even get negative comments even though I didn’t do anything wrong,” he opened up.
Photo: FBNV
