Thelife- Sara Leeds created a TikTok account to give people a glimpse into the lives of doormen in New York.
- Her account has grown and viewers love the unique perspective of the videos.
New York City's doormen are often associated with luxury and wealth. But they are far more than a status symbol.
Porters provide buildings with an additional layer of security, lend a helping hand to residents who have lost their keys, accept packages, and provide workers with access to apartments while residents are away. Perhaps most importantly of all, they are familiar faces in a city that can often feel intimidating and lonely.
TikToker Sara Leeds, who is in her 20s, works as a senior creative at an influencer marketing agency in New York. In her spare time, she runs Doorman Stories, a TikTok account dedicated to sharing snippets of conversations she has had with doormen.
Leeds noticed that while many doormen learn the stories of the people who live in the buildings they work at, few people take the time to hear stories from doormen. She decided to team up with one of her friends, who works as a filmmaker, to provide people with a glimpse into doormen's "unique lens" of New York City.
Leeds uploaded the account's first video in January 2023, in which a doorman told a story about the time a sleepwalking resident walked down to the lobby naked.
Only four people commented on the video, but Leeds' perseverance has paid off — in the past eight months the account has grown to over 40,000 followers, and amassed over 1.3 million likes.
Leeds wanted to feature the voices of normal people who had something interesting to say
Leeds has always enjoyed watching man-on-the-street style content that encourages "candid, unfiltered, spontaneous conversation." She said that most of these videos target random passers-by, and she wanted to add a new layer to it.
She told Insider she thinks people are interested in hearing stories from doormen because there is an "air of luxury and exclusivity" around the job.
One of her first interviews was with a man named Manny Teixera, who had spent 61 years working in the same building. In the video, which was posted on April 28, he told Leeds it was the last day he was working before retiring. He said he began working in building in 1961 with his father as a superintendent.
The clip received over 10,000 likes and dozens of comments from people who said how heartwarming they found the video.
Since then, the account has continued to grow. Leeds told Insider that she now has a backlog of inbound requests from doormen wanting to be interviewed, and from residents asking her to interview their favorite doormen in their buildings.
Leeds works on this project alongside her full-time job and aims to post three videos per week. She said that one interview can yield between three and 10 "great clips."
She told Insider that she has always pursued some sort of entrepreneurial or creative endeavor in addition to her full-time roles, so she is accustomed to working lots of hours. "If you love it, it doesn't feel like work," she said.
The account's first viral video featured a doorman who knew the name and the story of every resident who walked by
In a video posted in July, a doorman named Doug points at one of the residents and his young son, who he says is "learning to play piano, and has his own set of golf clubs."
He excuses himself from his conversation with Leeds to greet them and ask how they're doing. When the young boy approaches him, he holds out his hand and requests a high-five, and then asks the boy to show him his "golf swing." The boy enthusiastically pretends to swing an imaginary golf club, and then he and Doug walk into the building together.
Leeds said Doug seemed to know every resident who walked by, along with their job, their hobbies, and the story about their family. "Being able to witness that from him was really special and just showed the kind of care and dedication that goes into this career," she said.
It was the account's first video to go viral, gaining 4 million views.
Many viewers wrote that it was obvious how much he loved his job, and several people wrote that they felt inspired by how happy he was. One viewer wrote that they were "manifesting" having a doorman like Doug.
Leeds said that after filming the series for a few months, one conversation has stuck with her
In another interview, Leeds interviewed a doorman named Marcio who told her that he had always dreamed of being a baker.
Marcio ended up becoming a doorman instead because of his life circumstances, but his underlying passion for baking remained. In his conversation with Leeds, he said he wouln't change anything because he is "very happy" with his life right now.
Leeds said that while the video didn't get as much attention as some of her other interviews, it had a big impact on her.
"As someone who has made many career pivots and has many passions in my life, I've thought about all the different routes I could go. Hearing the same thing come from someone else just really, really meant a lot to me," she said. "I think it is something I'm not going to forget for a very long time."
Leeds said that viewers often send her messages to let her know how much of an impact Doorman Stories has had on them. Many people have told her that hearing these stories has made their lives brighter and reminded them of fond moments with doormen they have interacted with.
She has also received messages from doormen who said that her account warmed their hearts, and who have thanked her for "shedding light" on what doormen actually do.
She told Insider, "This outpouring of love and support from viewers has been one of the most meaningful parts of Doorman Stories."