Brian Acosta Arya didn’t set out to become TikTok-famous — but his heartfelt, funny, and often emotional videos about life at his family’s New Jersey motel have struck a chord with more than a million followers.
For the latest dinner with a stranger, we met over Korean barbecue to talk about the long road to his storytelling success, from a failed reality show to late-night phone calls with strangers. Brian opens up about creativity, storytelling, failure and success, all centered around life at the Lincoln Tunnel Motel.