Meet the Baton Rouge handyman going viral for his selfless projects

Within 24 hours of uploading a viral video to social media, Jhonn Jackson created a brand with a mission to help his neighbors and inspire others.

In 2024, Jackson posted a video of himself repairing a fence for his neighbor. After one week, that video garnered over 8 million views, and he would go on to build a following of over 5 million in the next year.

Despite this online success, Jackson’s days don’t look much different than the day of that first project. In the middle of the July heat, he’s building a fence in the Baton Rouge backyard of a woman named Nikki. She isn’t Jackson’s neighbor; in fact, the two had never met before Jackson showed up at her house. She’s just a homeowner who needed help, but he took on this renovation with the same mindset as that first fence repair.

A new fence isn’t all Nikki received. Jackson and his team also pressure-washed and painted her front porch, cleaned up the landscaping and assembled a playset—all free of charge.

After this renovation was complete, Jackson uploaded a video of the process to his YouTube channel, @UncleJhonnShow, and it reached more than 500,000 views within a week.

The Uncle Jhonn brand has received national attention, but Jackson’s focus stays on the Baton Rouge community. His latest content follows the same principles as his first viral video. Jackson and his team complete free home improvement projects for people in and around Baton Rouge and post the videos online.

With all the effort that Jackson puts into every renovation, his attitude is what keeps him excited to work.

“I don’t like rushing,” Jackson says. “If I’m working here at Nikki’s house today, this is my favorite project. I want to give it my best.“

As Uncle Jhonn’s accounts continue to grow, so do the projects Jackson undertakes. Reaching more people through online interactions or in-person service continues to motivate the DIYer.  And while young people look to him for inspiration to become a content creator, he says his videos inspire action for a different purpose.

“I still look at myself as a regular guy that just makes videos,” Jackson says. “And I want to help a lot more people to not try and chase a fantasy, but to chase what’s really going on. The fantasy is the views and the likes and all that, but out here today, I’m really about to build a fence.”

Jackson always knew he wanted to keep these repairs, renovations and builds free for the people who need them. He says he feels blessed to give back in this way and hopes the improvements transform more than just a backyard.

DIY projects Jackson has completed in his own yard have helped to create a space that feels like home. He believes that transforming this part of a house can change how someone feels about where they live.

“I know we can’t purchase everyone a house and move them to a new neighborhood, but we can share some of the success that we were blessed with and give them that feeling,” he says. “Even if it’s for a temporary moment, I know they’re going to remember it for a lifetime.”

This article was originally published in the September 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.