For Brandon Axelrod, a 27-year-old physician at one of Manhattan\u2019s most acclaimed medical facilities, it\u2019d be easy to have an\u00a0inflated\u00a0ego.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the $405,000 albatross that is his\u00a0student loan debt keeps the Long Island native grounded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a humongous, humbling bill that the oral and maximal facial surgery resident is remitting with the help of helium.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m paying back my student loans by making balloon art and posting it on social media,\u201d Axelrod, whimsically known as \u201cDoctor Brandini\u201d to his over 54,000 online followers, told The Post with a laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m always ruminating on the debt. I\u2019m just always nervous about it,\u201d confessed the specialist, a graduate of both Cornell University and Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brandon Axelrod has turned his balloon hobby into a side hustle via social media to help pay off his exorbitant student loan debt. Emmy Park for NY Post<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I figured why not get back into a hobby I used to love as a kid, making balloons,\u201d he added, \u201cI decided to make them, post them online and try to make some money.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a dream born from a childhood injury-turned-inspirational encounter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was 5, I tripped and fell in the shower and my two front teeth got pushed up into my gums,\u201d he recalled of the bloody scene. \u201cMy parents rushed me to the dentist, he performed a procedure, and when he was done, he snapped his fingers like a magician and made a red spongeball appear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt that moment, I thought, \u2018This is the coolest job ever. I want to be a dentist who makes people happy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
An accident as a child inspired the 27-year-old\u2019s love for balloon art. Emmy Park for NY Post<\/p>\n
And, just like that, the magnificent \u201cBrandini\u201d \u2014 a nickname given to Axelrod by his grandfather \u2014 was born.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tot spent years perfecting his magician and balloon-making skills, working birthday parties and corporate events across Long Island for pay, every weekend, throughout middle and high school.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This profitable side hustle has earned the 27-year-old a handsome $2,303 since the top of 2026 \u2014 all from social media, as Axelrod doesn\u2019t make individual balloon creations as one-off purchases.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s cash he\u2019s pocketed \u2014 then immediately handed over to his lenders \u2014 by monetizing viral videos of his rubber masterworks. A life-size rendering of \u201cNUEVAYoL\u201d rapper Bad Bunny <\/a>and a mini replica of the Statue of Liberty<\/a> are just a few of his inflatable feats to attain viral acclaim on TikTok and Instagram.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Upper East Sider has earned $2,303 so far this year just from his balloon videos on social media. Emmy Park for NY Post<\/p>\n \u201cOn TikTok, you need at least 10,000 followers to start monetizing your posts,\u201d Axelrod explained of the platform\u2019s exclusive Creator Rewards Program, a system designed to help influencers generate higher revenue potential by posting high-quality, original content. <\/p>\n Wannabe breadwinners must be at least age 18, post videos that are at least one minute long and \u2014\u00a0among a few other requirements<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 must have amassed over 100,000 video views within the last 30 days of applying to the program.\u00a0<\/p>\n Axelrod surpassed the latter threshold in February.\u00a0<\/p>\n He twisted together an eye-popping, peg-legged pirate<\/a>, who came complete with a sword, a hook in place of its hand and a shoulder-perched parrot.<\/p>\n Axelrod has been making balloon creations since he was young. Emmy Park for NY Post<\/p>\n The crafty doc gifted the lifelike formation to a fellow healthcare worker at the hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n Footage of the balloon buccaneer earned Axelrod some bountiful booty \u2014 a combined 3 million video views across the internet.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe pirate video shot my social media accounts into another dimension,\u201d he bragged. \u201cI knew it was gold because it attracted huge audiences on both platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n Axelrod is appreciative of all the support he\u2019s gotten for his art. Emmy Park for NY Post<\/p>\n \u201cAs a smaller creator, I have to expect that most people watching my videos are unaware of my [student loans repayment] mission,\u201d the creative continued. \u201cSo, making these really fun, complex balloons and getting support from people all over the world means a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n The entrepreneur told The Post that he routinely spends nearly $400 on professional-grade balloons from various wholesale companies to create his colorfully ornate\u00a0objets d\u2019art. Each magna opus takes between 1 and 2 hours to complete, depending on its size and intricate design. <\/p>\n His creations certainly require some money and time \u2014 but to Axelrod, it\u2019s worth it. Emmy Park for NY Post<\/p>\n For him \u2014 with approximately $402k to go \u2014 it\u2019s a slow, yet steady means to an end.\u00a0<\/p>\n Axelrod is just one in the 43 million borrowers on the hook for thousands \u2014 or, in his case, hundreds of thousands \u2014 in the name of higher education. Of that number,\u00a0roughly 9 million folks are in default<\/a>, making up $425 billion of the $1.7 trillion nationwide student debt.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n While some recent grads are jumping US borders, absconding to\u00a0avoid those \u201cpsychologically burdensome\u201d\u00a0<\/a>repayment fees, others are sacrificially making huge monthly payments to\u00a0avoid federal wage garnishments<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Axelrod wanted to get ahead of the chaos as quickly as possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of my co-residents are waiting until after residency to start paying their loans, but I think it makes more sense to start paying them down now,\u201d he told The Post, admitting that \u201cmoney is tight as a resident.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut making little sacrifices now will pay off in the long run,\u201d added Axelrod, whose lifelong goal has been a career in dentistry.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, as residency makes it virtually impossible for the merrymaker to take weekend gigs, Axelrod has come to rely on his colleagues for balloon art requests.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re an integral part of my content,\u201d he said. \u201cI ask [my coworkers] what kind of balloon animal they\u2019d like, and I film myself making it for them for free.\u201d<\/p>\n The no-charge handiwork is Axelrod\u2019s way of giving back to his peers \u2014 those superheroes in scrubs who give their all to the sick of the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a cool feeling to see my fellow healthcare workers smile when I hand them a balloon,\u201d said Axelrod. \u201cIt kinda brings out the little kid in them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s fun to make someone\u2019s day \u2014 while making a little extra money on the side.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t