Connor Wood has turned an unexpected career setback into a success story that has taken him from startup jobs to social media fame and the comedy stage.
The Texas native first became widely known online through his humorous and often self-deprecating videos. What started as a way to talk about losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic eventually became a full-time career. Today, Wood is known for his TikTok personality, stand-up comedy, podcast work and his online identity, Fibulaa.
Wood was 29 years old when he discussed his career journey with PEOPLE in 2024. His story is especially interesting because becoming an influencer was never part of the original plan. After graduating from the University of Texas, he expected to follow a more traditional professional path. Instead, several layoffs and an unsuccessful job search pushed him toward creating content.
That difficult period ended up changing his life.
How Old Is Connor Wood?
Connor Wood is 29 years old, according to the PEOPLE profile published in 2024.
Wood was born and raised in Texas and later moved to Los Angeles after college for work. His age is worth noting because he built much of his online following in his twenties, at a time when he was still trying to figure out what direction his professional life would take.
Rather than coming from a traditional entertainment background, Wood entered the creator world after losing his job. His early videos focused heavily on the uncertainty he was experiencing, which helped viewers connect with him.
His story is a good example of how quickly a person’s career can change when an unexpected setback creates an opportunity they never planned for.
Connor Wood’s Life After College
After graduating from the University of Texas, Wood initially followed what he considered a normal career path.
He developed an interest in working for startups and joked that he became almost “addicted” to the startup environment. He described returning to startups as being similar to going back to a toxic relationship.
That career path eventually brought him to Los Angeles.
Wood moved to California for a job and initially expected his stay in Los Angeles to be fairly short. He was living in a house with friends and thought the arrangement might last only a couple of weeks.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.
Instead of quickly returning home or moving on to another opportunity, Wood remained in Los Angeles as the pandemic disrupted the job market.
Connor Wood Was Fired From Bumble
One of the biggest turning points in Connor Wood’s life came when he lost his job at Bumble.
Wood had been working for the online dating company after moving to Los Angeles. When the pandemic began, he was among those whose employment situation changed.
At the time, getting fired was not something he found funny.
Looking back, however, Wood was able to turn the experience into comedy.
He began talking about his situation online and sharing videos about the difficulty of finding another job. The honesty of those posts helped people relate to him because many others were experiencing layoffs, uncertainty and financial stress during the pandemic.
Instead of pretending everything was perfect, Wood made his frustration part of his content.
That decision became one of the foundations of his career.
The Job Search That Changed His Life
After losing his job, Wood tried to return to the traditional workforce.
He says he applied for 99 jobs but could not get a single interview.
For someone who had a college degree and had already worked in startups, the experience was frustrating. But he started documenting the process through social media.
His videos about looking for work were funny, but there was also a real sense of uncertainty behind them.
That combination made his content relatable.
People were not watching Wood because he had everything figured out. They were watching because he was dealing with the same kind of problems that many people were facing.
His growing audience gave him a reason to continue posting, even when he was still unsure whether social media could become a legitimate career.
Emma Chamberlain Gave Him Confidence
One of the moments that helped convince Wood that content creation might actually work came from another major internet personality, Emma Chamberlain.
One of Wood’s videos received a like from Chamberlain, who was already a hugely successful creator at the time.
For Wood, that small interaction meant much more than a simple social media notification.
He viewed it as a sign that someone he respected had noticed his work. In his conversation with PEOPLE, he recalled thinking that if Chamberlain approved of the content, perhaps he really could build a career from it.
That moment helped him gain confidence in the style of videos he was making.
Instead of waiting for another traditional job, Wood continued posting.
Connor Wood Became Known as Fibulaa
Online, Connor Wood became closely associated with the name Fibulaa.
His content developed around observational comedy, personal experiences and his particular personality. Rather than relying entirely on elaborate production, many of his videos felt casual and direct.
That helped create the impression that viewers were getting to know the real person behind the account.
His humor also contributed to his growing popularity.
Wood has described himself as having a “god complex,” while much of his comedy is based on observations about everyday life, relationships and his own experiences.
His audience grew significantly after he began going viral in 2021.
Why Connor Wood’s Content Connected With People
One reason Wood’s content worked was its relatability.
His early success did not come from presenting an impossibly glamorous lifestyle. Instead, he talked about getting fired, applying for jobs and not knowing what he was going to do next.
Those are experiences that many young adults understand.
His personality also became an important part of his appeal. Wood’s style is conversational and self-aware, allowing him to turn ordinary situations into jokes.
He also developed a particularly strong female audience.
Wood has said that most of his audience is women and described his fans as a special group with a strong sense of humor.
His live shows have also become a social experience for fans. He has talked about people arriving alone, meeting other audience members and eventually becoming friends.
That type of community is difficult to create, but it has become an important part of Wood’s career.
From TikTok to Stand-Up Comedy
Social media was only the beginning for Connor Wood.
As his online audience grew, he started moving into stand-up comedy.
He has opened shows for established comedians including Bill Burr and Tiffany Haddish, something that would have been difficult to imagine during his days of applying for dozens of jobs.
For Wood, performing alongside comedians he had watched for years was a major accomplishment.
His career has therefore developed in an unusual direction. He is not simply a TikTok creator who occasionally performs comedy. He has increasingly positioned himself as a comedian who also has a large internet following.
That distinction matters because Wood has worked to build a career that exists beyond social media platforms.
Connor Wood and Brooke and Connor Make A Podcast
Wood also became known for his podcast work through Brooke and Connor Make A Podcast.
The show helped expand his audience beyond short-form social media content and gave listeners another way to experience his humor and personality.
Podcasting is a natural fit for Wood because much of his appeal comes from conversation, observations and his personality rather than elaborate visual production.
The podcast also helped establish him as more than an influencer.
He had created a platform where his comedy could develop in a longer format, allowing fans to spend more time with his style of humor.
His Parents Eventually Understood His Career
At first, Wood’s parents had difficulty understanding how social media could become a real career.
That is not unusual for parents whose children take an unconventional professional route.
Wood had a college degree and had previously worked at startups, so becoming a full-time creator was not exactly the career his family expected.
Eventually, though, his parents started hearing from their own friends that their children and relatives were following Wood online.
That helped make his success more tangible.
His father even turned Wood’s childhood bedroom in Texas into a man cave. Wood viewed the gesture as a sign that his family had finally accepted that he was not planning to return home for a traditional job.
His parents have since become active supporters of his career.
When Wood performed a hometown show, his mother and a group of friends reportedly bought the first 10 front-row tables. His parents have also supported his touring career, including international travel.
Connor Wood’s Comedy Career Continues to Grow
Wood’s career has expanded well beyond the original viral videos that made him popular.
He has toured nationally and internationally, performed stand-up, created podcast content and launched merchandise.
He has also been recognized in celebrity and entertainment circles, including receiving a nomination for People’s Sexiest Man Reader’s Choice.
For someone who once struggled to get a single job interview, the change is remarkable.
Wood has essentially created his own business around his personality.
He has described the work as the hardest he has ever done, despite the fact that outsiders might see social media fame as an easy job.
That is an important part of his story.
What Is Connor Wood Doing Now?
Connor Wood is now focused primarily on comedy, content creation and building his career as an entertainer.
His work includes social media, live performances, podcasting, touring and merchandise.
The journey from losing his job at Bumble to becoming a recognizable comedian was not planned.
In fact, Wood’s biggest career opportunity came from a period when he felt that he had very few options.
His experience also demonstrates how social media can create opportunities for people who might otherwise struggle to break into entertainment. Wood did not start with a major television role or a record deal. He started by talking about his own problems online.
People connected with that honesty.
Connor Wood’s Age and Career in Perspective
At 29, Connor Wood has already gone through several very different professional stages.
He graduated from college, worked at startups, moved to Los Angeles, lost his job at Bumble, applied for dozens of jobs without receiving an interview and eventually built a career from the very platform where he had been discussing his struggles.
His story is not simply about becoming famous on TikTok.
It is about finding a different path after the original plan stopped working.
Wood’s comedy career continues to grow, and his online audience gives him a strong foundation for live performances and other projects. The fact that he has already opened for established comedians shows how quickly his career has moved.
Perhaps the most interesting part of Connor Wood’s story is that his success began with something he considered a failure.
Getting fired from Bumble was scary. Not finding another job was frustrating. But those experiences gave him the material and perspective that eventually connected him with millions of viewers.
Today, the former startup employee is working for himself, performing comedy and building a brand around his own personality. The career he never expected has become the one he is working hardest to maintain.
And for Connor Wood, that may be the funniest twist of all.