As an engineer with more than two decades of DIY home improvement experience, Raleigh-area native Philip Bradford is no stranger to building and craftsmanship.
And in the last six years, the NC State alumnus and professor has built a social media empire from what started as a hobby.
On Instagram, Philip or Flop has attracted more than 1 million followers, as well as advertising partnerships with 115 different companies, including Lowe’s, Ford, Best Buy, LG, General Electric, and Duluth.
Dispensing DIY pointers with humor, warmth, and authenticity, Philip takes followers along for the ride as he tackles his own home improvement projects.
Projects like a built-in gift-wrapping station, epoxy garage floors, a shade garden, an outdoor kitchen, and a custom coastal laundry closet — just to name a few.
And the turning point — when Philip or Flop began to move from hobby to side hustle — was building a backyard playhouse for his daughters.
Onward and Upward
After launching the Instagram account “for fun” in 2018, Philip picked up a “few thousand” followers that first year.
Then he built an “over-the-top playhouse” with a metal roof, shiplap interior, and a custom kitchen. He documented the construction from start to finish. “People just went crazy for that,” he says.
Within a couple months, the account had 50,000 followers, “mostly because of posting content around that playhouse.”
That’s when he realized: “Wow, this could be something more than just posting things for fun.”
He soon lined up a few small partnerships and leaned more into Instagram’s Stories feature, which allowed for more frequent and efficient video storytelling.
And during covid, Philip says, “DIY content just kind of went crazy.”
Philip or Flop soon grew to a few hundred thousand followers. Then half a million. “And it became a real side business for me at that point,” he says.
The Business Side
For the first year, Philip managed his own contracts, which he says was “probably one of the hardest things to do.” He opted to sign with a management company to handle the paperwork side.
“They bring partnerships to the table and they review all the contracts for me,” he says. “It saves me a ton of time.”
Time he can spend engaging with his followers.
While many in his position might have staff to handle such tasks, Philip’s DIY ethos doesn’t just apply to home improvement.
“In the early days of Instagram, engaging with like-minded accounts and engaging with your followers was super critical to growing your audience. And I just kind of kept doing that,” he says.
“It’s still important today. But a lot of times people are posting multiple pieces of content per day. And a lot of people don’t have the time to respond to DMs personally,” Philip says.
While other creators rely on AI responses or hired assistants, Philip prefers not to outsource. “I’ve always done it myself because I like the connection,” he says.
That connection and personal engagement is a major component to what sets Philip or Flop apart. Philip estimates he has responded to tens of thousands of DMs and post comments in the last six years.
With a full-time job as a professor, the Philip or Flop business remains a part-time gig. Philip focuses on quality rather than quantity.
“I can spend that couple hours responding to post comments, my thumbs typing as fast as I can for a few hours to respond to as many people as I can,” he says.
One of Philip or Flop’s most popular videos showing the advantages of all-drawer lower cabinets racked up more than 8 million views, 3,000 comments, 366,000 likes, and almost 99,000 shares within the first 24 hours.
Behind the Scenes
Content creation requires planning and precision. A 30-second video post is backed by hours of work on the back end. Philip keeps a calendar that factors in what followers might be interested in as well as what projects need to be done around the house.
Before he finishes one DIY, “I am thinking about what my next project is going to be so I can have materials ordered,” he says. Especially with sponsored content, which has to be reviewed by the sponsor, projects are often completed a week or two before he presents them to his followers.
Philip finds that the “before” is almost as important as the result, as before-and-after transitions are in high demand with the DIY audience.
And that means taking a lot of video footage.
“Once I start the project, I’m typically recording almost everything,” Philip says. “I delete things occasionally, but I think my camera roll has something like 35,000 video clips on it.”
A one-minute Reel or TikTok video doesn’t allow for much detail, he says, “so I’ve always used my Instagram Stories to connect with my audience at that deeper DIY level,” including intricate details of the build, the materials, and the step-by-step process.
Love the Process
In mid-August, Philip posted a Reel showing how his kitchen design allows him to unload the dishwasher without moving his feet thanks to all-drawer lower cabinets.
In less than 24 hours, the post had 8 million views, 366,000 likes, 3,000 comments, and almost 99,000 shares.
But that reach doesn’t happen overnight.
“It takes a lot more than just recording a one-minute video to grow a large account. It takes time,” he says.
“There’s a lot of creation involved. There’s a lot of preparation involved. You really have to love the process.”
And after rising to fame, Philip still loves the work itself.
“If you love the niche that you’re working in, it helps a lot,” he says. “Don’t try to start out to become an influencer just because you know that there might be some money involved.”
Like a home improvement project, it takes precision, planning, and passion.
@philip_or_flop
philiporflop.com
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