I’m not a fan of Andy Warhol, but I’ll give him this.

When he said “in the future, everybody will be world-famous for 15 minutes,” he nailed it.

I’ve always believed in that quote, and became one of the people Warhol was alluding to in November 2017 when a video of myself explaining World Series facts was picked up by Barstool Sports and received more than 1.6 million views.

Had I been alive in the 1960s, my 15 minutes of fame would have come in a different manner. A unique thing about Warhol’s quote is that as time goes on, it becomes more and more accurate.

Now, getting your 15 minutes can be as easy as just sending a semi-creative tweet. Because of social media, however, I got mine simply by standing in front of a phone and answering a few questions. So I’m thankful for social media, and also thankful that my moment benefitted me and didn’t come from a less flattering manner, such as embarrassing myself at a college party.

A year later, my life hasn’t been that different since I “went viral.” For a few weeks—months, even—it was a little more fun being Joe Smeltzer than usual. Time is undefeated, however, and being on Barstool didn’t save me from the stress of college life that every viral and non-viral student in college faces.

It also didn’t get me a girlfriend. I might have to “blow up” a few more times for that to happen.

I think when I look back at my first 15 minutes of fame—I say “first” because I can always hope for more—what I’ll remember as much as anything is how I handled it. What I’m about to say might come across as self-serving, but that’s not my intent.

Looking back, I’m proud of myself for how I didn’t go out of my way to make myself a big deal. I could have let my 15 minutes go to my head and constantly made it a point to not let people forget, but instead, I kept it low key for the most part.

It’s not that I don’t occasionally bring up my moment, but I don’t wear it on my sleeve, either. Maybe there are people who think of that video when they see my face or hear my name, but that’s up to them. For me, I want to make sure that I’m known for something other than that, and I have made it a personal goal to work hard enough in my future profession that people will see I am more than just the guy who has World Series memorized.

So while being on Barstool Sports might not affect my life long term, it’s prepared me for life if, for some reason, I become famous for more than 15 minutes. I’m now confident that money, success and more will not change me, and it’s because I had my time at a fairly young age.

If your 15 minutes of fame hasn’t arrived yet, be ready. It’s going to happen. It might be positive. It might be cringe worthy. For better or worse, it will be temporary.

What’s important is for you to figure out how you are going to become better because of your 15 minutes. If your favorite artist pulls you on stage at a concert to sing a song, and millions of people see it, great. How will that make you stronger? If you do something ridiculous at a party and somebody happens to film it, that’s unfortunate. How are you going to make people forget that?

If you’re famous for 15 minutes, that’s probably the most notoriety you will ever have. The fame won’t be permanent, but what you learn from it could depend on how you react.