In November last year, Tomas Bugg was picked up by AFL club Carlton after being let go by the Melbourne Demons. But not even three months later and before playing a game for his new team, Bugg has retired from the sport entirely.
Why? To pursue his Instagram Influencing dreams, of course.
“Thank you football,” the athlete began his announcement on social media. “I’ve met the most amazing people and I have made lifelong friends. I have experienced the ups and downs of professional sport, this had allowed me to grow as a person and for that I am so grateful.”
Bugg, 25, continued to explain that the company he co-founded, Zooz Group, an influencer agency, is behind his decision to retire from the professional sport.
“Always follow your dreams and back yourself and it’s time to fully invest into my business @zoozgroup,” Bugg, who has over 60 thousand followers, explained.
Top Comments
He’s leaving a job that is hard on his body and has a limited life span to build a business- seems like a very sensible choice not exactly being a ‘shiftless millenial’. And to everyone who thinks ‘instagram influencer’ Isn’t a job- it’s as much of a job as advertising and marketing ever have been, even if it’s a medium that scares you. You try coming up with high quality marketing images that sell a distinct story and aesthetic 7-10 times a week and let me know how you go.
It's not a medium that scares me - it's a medium for which I have no time or respect. Kind of akin to reality TV - it's pure paint-by-numbers junk starring cookie-cutter, forgettable nobodies. Influencing as a "job" is like building a house on sand.
This sounds like something from the Betoota Advocate.