Diablo Construction Owner Jared "Diablo" Siegel says there's a certain "mystique" to sitting on the tank of a toilet in a front lawn. "It's just so right and wrong at the same time," he says.
Based in New Egypt, N.J., Siegel started posting pictures of himself atop the porcelain thrones from bathrooms he'd demoed about two years ago on Instagram, and the quirky job-site tradition went viral, evolving into the "Diablo Challenge." The challenge has been taken up by contractors all over the world who share their own demoed-toilet pictures, helping to skyrocket Diablo's Instagram to more than 43,000 followers.
"We like to have fun and make people laugh and show that we're having a good time," Siegel says. "It makes [Instagram] more personable, and a lot of times I get told before someone hires us that they feel like they know us already." Siegel says the key to Instagram success is separating yourself from the pack, and that means letting your personality shine.
"And really what that takes is letting your guard down," he says. "A lot of people keep this wall up; they're afraid to step out of the box or their comfort zone. But once you do, it's amazing what you can do."
