Kat Curtis never expected that her full-time job would be TikTok star

“I’m only funny for six seconds,” Kat Curtis told In The Know. “When TikTok came around, I was like, I might really be able to do it.”

We met with Curtis for this new episode of In The Know: Profiles. Curtis is a viral TikTok star — a relatively new social media platform that hit a billion downloads in February 2019. Similar to its predecessor Vine, another short-form video hosting service that was shut down in early 2017, TikTok hosts seconds-long original comedy and lip-sync videos. 

Curtis had always been interested in comedy, but building a whole career around making funny videos was something she never imagined would happen.

Coming from a small farm in Minnesota, Curtis grew up finding ways to entertain herself — so brainstorming video ideas came naturally to her. It was when she started building a following that she realized this could be more than just a hobby.

“So video 25 was the video that went super viral,” Curtis told In The Know. “At that time, I wasn’t checking my TikTtok, and then I, like, looked at it and it had more than 100,000 views really fast, and I’m like, ‘Oh. Oh, it’s happening.'”

Curtis now has over 400,000 followers on TikTok, where she’s established herself with her witty commentaries on snacks and her weird food combinations. Her one-eared cat, Uno, is very popular as well — and actually has its own TikTok account with over 744,000 followers.

But it’s not about the follower count for Curtis.

“Sometimes I’ll see a fan message that really gets to me,” Curtis said. “Someone will just be like, ‘Hey, I really love your videos, they make me really happy, I watch them on repeat. You know, I don’t have a lot of friends, but when I watch you, I don’t feel so alone.”

It can be overwhelming to Curtis that she makes such an impact on so many people’s lives. Being able to build a career off of creating funny videos is one thing, but to be supported by her fans — and to know that they feel supported by her too — is very fulfilling.

“That’s what all of us want: To know that we’re doing something positive that isn’t hurting anyone. And I feel like I’m getting to do that, and it’s really cool.”

If you enjoyed reading this article, you might also enjoy reading about how YouTube star Amanda Steele started her career as a shy, introverted middle schooler.

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