I do it, you do it, we all do it: scrolling endlessly on TikTok. It’s a pandemic, but fortunately not the worst one we’ve seen! The Internet is a magnet for hate, comparison and anxiety, but sometimes it can be the complete opposite. Last year, I made it my goal that if I was going to be doom-scrolling, I might as well not feel bad about myself while I do it. As the year went by, I unfollowed accounts that made me feel less than I should and followed more that I related to and motivated me positively. Eventually, my for-you and homepages across platforms turned into motivation, goals and happiness which helped me improve my life as well.
I’ve followed so many strong, motivated women throughout the past year who inspire me and the rest of their following. Following these successful women made me want to get out of my own comfort zone and try something new. I wanted to reach out to one of my favorite creators, Katie Becknell, who I have followed for some time, to have a conversation about her journey and why she does what she does. The responses I got were more than I ever could have hoped for, thanks to Katie’s genuine commitment to her audience and platform.
Question One: What inspires you?
Katie was first inspired to create content right after the COVID pandemic hit in 2020. She makes sure to shout out @taychayy and @libbychristensen, saying they were a huge source of inspiration when she was first starting out. When COVID hit, Katie was stuck doing home workouts with some simple cables and dumbbells, but it then occurred to her that others may not have the resources or the knowledge to stay healthy at home, inspiring her further. I wanted to make sure I asked how Katie stays inspired because I know that is something I and many other women struggle with. Katie told me about how it was as simple as one comment she would get on a video that would keep her going. She emphasizes that as long as she was helping at least one person, it was worth it! After taking a mental health break when the Instagram algorithm had been working against her, Katie came back stronger than ever and was posting multiple times a day on Instagram and TikTok. Obviously, this could not have been easy, but Katie mentions again how it only took one comment for her inspiration to continue to grow.
Question two: What has your journey with health and wellness looked like?
Katie explains how she played sports her whole life, so she never had to focus too much on weight training in the gym because she was staying fit at practice. Like many of us, when she went away to college, she had a hard time adjusting to the freedom and gained some weight. Katie recalls looking in the mirror and not liking what she saw, an upsetting thought so many of us have as well. She knew she had to make a change and take control back of her body and life. She began like many of us do, with cardio. It was comforting to me as I know it will be comforting to other women reading this, that Katie too was super intimidated by the male-dominated weights section at first. Katie tells me about how she still was not really seeing the results she wanted, so she finally found the confidence to make her way over to the weights with the help of other women on social media to motivate her! She explains that this wasn’t easy, and it took time to truly be confident in that area. Katie ends this question by saying that she does not rely on inspiration alone but on discipline. In her own words, “when I’m waking up at 4:30 5 ish, I almost never WANT to get out of bed, but I know I NEED to 1) get my working in for the day because I know I will be upset with myself later in the day if I don’t 2) be consistent in my training in order to see progress and reach my goals.”
question three: how has your day-to-day life changed since becoming a content creator?
Katie creates content around the schedule of her 9-5 corporate job, leaving her with very little free time. She explains how Instagram posts tend to be a breeze compared to TikTok. The process of finding audio if she doesn’t already have one picked out, clipping videos from the gym to match the songs, text overlays and creating captions can take around 2 hours – on top of her 8-hour work day! Katie, understandably so, says that most days she feels like she has two jobs from the work she puts in for both.
question four: How has content creation affected your work life and future?
Katie does not solely rely on social media for her income, and says she never will. She explains how social media is not reliable; it could all be gone in a second. Katie makes some income off of brand partnership and viewership, but she says her main goal is to use her platform to create a 1:1 training program business for herself.
question five: what is the most rewarding part of content creation, and what are you looking forward to with your platform?
Katie proved throughout this brief interview that she cares deeply about the impact she makes on her followers. One of the biggest reasons I followed Katie was because of her posts at the gym in shorts. I struggled with being confident in my body my whole life because of my cellulite, so to come across Katie’s page and see how she so happily wore what she wanted to in the gym without fear of judgment was monumental for me to see. Then, to be given the opportunity to learn from her and hear about how she shows that on purpose because of the impact it has made on other viewers too was powerful to hear. Katie says that while she did not always do this in the past, she commits herself to staying true to herself and creating content that makes her and her audience feel good. Katie is really looking forward to getting a better camera in the future to improve her page, work with a videographer, start a youtube page and get her certification to be a personal trainer. Her biggest dream is to start her fitness business, and it sounds like she is well on her way to that!
I could not be more grateful to Katie for taking the time out of her busy schedule to talk with me. Katie proved to be the genuine, hard-working woman that you see on her social media platforms, and made me feel reassured that my support is going to the right place. I hope reading through Katie’s thoughts makes you feel as inspired as I am after this, and that you give her a follow! You can find her on Instagram and TikTok under the handle @KatieBecknell, happy scrolling!